The Bomb and The Choice
by SweetWillowTree
Summary: Post- The Sacrifice. Inside the tomb, Stefan is forced to confront certain truths. Outside the tomb, Elena must make a decision. Rated M for language and sexual content.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Here is the full version of the prologue. For those who have read 'Make Me Wanna Die' and 'In The End', it will be lyrically-based as well, but the format will be a lot different.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

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* * *

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Stefan was in Hell. He was sure of it. If there was a place after death for creatures like him, there was no way that it could be worse than this. Locked in a tomb, with no chance of escape in the near future, with potentially the worst person imaginable.

The fact that said person was also his manipulative, lying, heartless ex-girlfriend who destroyed the relationship between him and his older brother, well, that's just a bonus.

"It's stuffy, and I've been in this dress for days… Wanna help me get out of it?"

_Oh for fucks sakes!_

"C'mon Stefan… Don't be such a grump. We're here together… May as well make the best out of it."

She's facing him again, clad in nothing but her underwear, which really isn't that big a difference since her dress wasn't all the modest to begin with. But from this angle, he can see her legs… And he knows that she and Elena are completely identical in every way, but for some reason, Katherine's legs just seem to run on and on and on…

_Eyes up Salvatore! Keep it together!_

"You really think Damon's gonna rush to get you out? He's got what he wants… Elena…"

Since Stefan set foot in this god-forsaken place, that's all he could think about: Damon and Elena. There's something going on between the two of them, Stefan's known it for months, and this might just be push that they need to…

"Stop," he begs.

"Hey, given what's most certainly going on out there, I'd say you're free to do whatever you want in here…"

And suddenly, Stefan is bombarded with images of Damon and Elena together. He isn't sure if it's Katherine's influence or not, but he doesn't really care. Damon and Elena walking together, talking together, laughing together. Elena, crying over Stefan, and Damon comforting her, holding her, kissing her… And Elena kissing back, falling onto the bed and…

And then Katherine is in Stefan's lap, and he isn't thinking straight anymore. He isn't even sure how he feels about Katherine. Did he ever love her? Does he still love her? Has he been lying to everyone this entire time? Does it even matter? She practically naked, on top of him, and they've already been trapped in here for days…

"Nobody will ever know…"

It's not a question of love or lust or hate; not of cheating or betrayal; it's a question of survival. _Nobody will ever know_. Elena will never know; Damon will never know. They aren't getting out anytime soon, and this might be the only way to get Katherine to open up, to give up some information to help Elena. It's a weak excuse, and deep down, Stefan knows it.

But this is Hell. There's nothing else. There's no one else. So when his lips meet Katherine's, and he doesn't pull away, and they're up against the stone wall, and he's inside of her, thrusting into her like he's coming home, that's all it is: Survival.

* * *

Damon was in Hell. He was sure of it. He figured, though, that given all of the terrible things that he had done, was currently involved in, and would probably do again, he'd earned it. Stuck in a house, with no desire to leave in the near future, with potentially the most unattainable person ever.

The fact that said person was also his brother's kind, honest, beautiful girlfriend who had destroyed all of the emotional walls that Damon had erected, well, that's just a bonus.

"I hate you."

_Progress! She's gotten past the 'so angry I can't even speak to you' part. _

He looked over at the teenager sitting on the couch with him, legs crossed and foot bouncing with irritation.

Damon pouted. "You and I both know that that's not true."

Elena glared at him. "I. _Hate_. You."

He rolled his eyes, and when he looked at her again, she was attempting to scowl at him. It took Damon everything not to laugh. Her eyes were squinted and her lips were drawn together in a tight line: She was way too adorable for her own good. She huffed out an angry breath, and Damon noted the aggressive rise and fall of her chest beneath her crossed arms. Then his gaze was drawn further down to her bouncing foot. In his mind's eye, he could see himself reaching out and holding the foot, letting his hand drift slowly back up her mile-long leg that was trembling under his fingers, barely able to wait until he reached…

_Eyes up Salvatore! Keep it together!_

"You'll have to let me out sooner or later, you know. I do still have school, and Jenna's gonna start asking questions. And then," she stood up slowly, "You won't be able to control where I go at all."

Since Bonnie had cast her spell to trap Elena, it was killing Damon to know that he was upsetting her, and he knew that she had just spoken the truth. They _would_ have to let her out eventually; and she'd be pretty pissed off when they did. He could tail her as much as he could, but if nothing else, Elena was an escape artist. He knew that if he looked away from her for an instant, she'd be gone; gone to offer herself up to Elijah on a silver platter. And this trick, this entrapment, might piss her off enough to push her into it…

"You're right," he muttered.

"I know," Elena answered curtly. "Look, given everything that's going on, I really should be doing _something_, even if it isn't what I _want_ to do. I promise I'll wait until Stefan's out of the tomb before I do anything rash, like finding Elijah…"

And suddenly, the gravity of Elena's persistent self-destructive desires hits Damon. He can see it; Elena approaching Elijah, talking to Elijah, leaving with Elijah. He sees Elena, a defeated look on her face, awaiting the death blow, the knife slicing her skin as her veins are emptied and her heart stops and she falls to the floor and…

And then Elena is on the floor in front of Damon, looking at him pleadingly and taking one of his hands in both her own, and Damon can't think straight anymore. The intimate gesture does more to fan the flame of his unrequited desire than anything else ever could. She doesn't hate him; that much is sure, but does she like him? Does she love him? Could she love him? But when she looks at him like that, it doesn't even matter; he would do anything for her, and they both know it. She's been trapped in here all day, and she seems to be coming around…

"Please Damon… I just need to get out of the house. I'll stay with you, the whole time; I won't leave your sight, just please!"

It's not a question of love or lust or friendship; not of trust or self-sacrifice; it's a question of survival. _Please!_ The more Damon thinks about it, the more he sees the point; that not giving in to Elena was killing him. She isn't going to be safe anytime soon, and this might be the only way to get Elena to calm down, and think clearly. It's a weak excuse, and Damon knows it.

But this is Hell. There's nothing else in Damon's mind but giving Elena what she wants. There's no one else who can do this to him. So when he calls Bonnie, and convinces her to lift the spell, and he and Elena are in his car, and she's glowing like he's just given her the world (which he has), that's all it is: Survival.


	2. Pull The Pin

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

Chapter One: Pull The Pin

_Shoulda known you was trouble from the first kiss; had your eyes wide open, why were they open? Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash, you did. To give me all your love is all I ever asked…_

* * *

It had been a few days since Stefan and Katherine's 'encounter'. And Stefan had spent each of those days wallowing in overwhelming guilt and self-pity. To be fair, he was in quite the impossible situation, made worse by the fact that he didn't think with the head on his shoulders, and pretty much single-handedly cocked up his entire relationship with Elena, after working so hard to maintain and protect it.

Katherine, oddly enough, also felt terrible, and was extremely confused about the sudden onset of these feelings. All right, at first, she was just annoyed: She had risked her life to come back to this backwater Virginia town, to be with the man that she loved, the only man that she had _ever_ loved, and now that she finally made some headway (literally speaking even!), he wouldn't even look at her.

Fine, she had been quite manipulative, playing on his fears about his girlfriend and his brother. And she had an ulterior motive for coming back to Mystic Falls as well. _But_… She did love Stefan, quite desperately, and she was hurting. For herself _and_ for him.

And so days passed in their deep dark tomb, neither of them saying much, or doing much. Both hurting, and unable to express it. Both able to heal the other, but unable to do it. And the tension piled up, preparing them both for a coming explosion.

And so they sat.

* * *

Elena was eating a sandwich in the boarding house kitchen when Damon walked in and sat down across from her.

"Hey," she mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"Good morning," Damon said, his voice sounding upbeat and positively _chipper_.

Elena swallowed and smiled. "You sound like you're in a good mood. Care to share?"

He shook his head. "Nothing in particular Gilbert; it's just a nice day."

The truth was that this was the first day that a) he hadn't had to drag Elena out of the guest room that she was staying in; and b) she addressed him first. Both events seemed to set him up for what was sure to be a marvellous day.

But as Damon thought of this, he watched as Elena finished her sandwich, her face falling a little with each bite, as though eating was draining the energy from her good mood. Before he could ask why though, she spoke again.

"So, have you gone to see Stefan today? I went up to your room earlier to ask if you would take me home yet, but you weren't there." Elena's eyes shot up and held Damon's. "Don't lie to me either, Damon. You won't leave me alone for two seconds; what else could be so important to drag you away somewhere?"

For a moment, Damon didn't speak. Then, he fell back into his characteristic snarkiness. "So what if I went to see Stefan. He needs blood; I need advice on how to handle you. Plus, watching Katherine rotting away into nothingness is just _beautiful_."

The last comment had been meant to lift Elena's mood slightly, at least. Unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect.

"So if she's so weak, then there shouldn't be a problem with me going, should there?"

As though to make her point, she hopped off the stool she was sitting on, and made to brush past Damon. He caught her with an arm around her waist, and she turned to glare at him. Pursing his lips, Damon stood until he and Elena were practically nose to nose, their bodies pressed together, bound together by the frustration and anger filling them both.

Through the thick tension, Damon finally spoke:

"You are not going down there, Elena. It'll hurt that you can't help him; and knowing you, you'd take pity on the bitch, and beg to get her out of there too." he said all this in a low voice, a voice that vibrated down his sternum and into his chest, crossing into Elena's as well so that she could _feel_ the warning that the words carried.

After a moment of silent staring, during which Damon felt like his was treading a minefield, Elena huffed and took a step back and then around him, headed for the stairs.

"You can't keep me here forever Damon!"

* * *

With great effort, Katherine pried her lips from the water bottle, leaving it half-full, and licking her lips hungrily. The blood was stale, but it was better than all of the _nothing_ that she'd been drinking the past few days, which made it taste infinitely better than anything that she had ever tasted before.

She slinked along, still wearing only her panties and Stefan's hoodie, until she was standing in front of the man himself, bottle in hand.

"Damon tossed this in earlier." She waited for an answer; an acknowledgment of her presence, or his own hunger, it didn't matter. But she was going to explode soon, being stuck in her with him like this. "Come on Stefan. Drink this, I saved it for you. Then we can talk about all the thoughts and feelings rumbling around in your head." She reached forward and stroked his hair. "Please Stefan. Just drink. And then you can keep hating me."

Slowly, he reached out, his hand closing around the water bottle, and bringing it towards him, sipping it slowly and glancing up at Katherine every few moments. She took this as encouragement to sit down across from him, and so she did.

"Why are you here?" Stefan finally asked between sips.

"Because I love you," Katherine answered immediately. Stefan gave her a sceptical look, and she sighed. "And because Elena's the doppelganger, and if I present her to Klaus, then I'm free. But mostly," she leaned forward and covered his hand with her own, "Because I'm in love with you."

Stefan licked his lips. "I don't believe you." Off Katherine's hurt expression, he simply shrugged. "Maybe you shouldn't have spent my entire life lying to me. Maybe then, I'd be a little more trusting."

He moved to get up, but Katherine grabbed his arm. "Please Stefan! What can I do? How can I prove to you that I'm telling the truth?"

For a full minute, Stefan didn't move a muscle, and Katherine was convinced that he had simply gone back to ignoring her. Then, "Do something selfless, right now. Tell me how to find Klaus, or kill Klaus, or save Elena."

"I already told Elena how to –"

"SHE WILL NOT BECOME A VAMPIRE!" Stefan whipped around and shoved Katherine into the stone wall.

Katherine pushed him back. "Fine then. I'll tell you what I know, and you'll believe me?"

"It'll be a step in the right direction."

With a sigh, Katherine pulled Stefan closer to her again. "The next time Damon comes down, tell him to call Isobel."

"What do you mean?"

"Aw," Katherine stroked Stefan's face, "Are you as dim as you are pretty? Call Isobel. She knows how to kill Originals, and the whole thing, but she doesn't know that she knows. She was on the right track, but when she couldn't find any corroborating evidence, she discounted that train of thought, and moved on. I didn't want to tell her that she was right, because… well… the less people know, the better for me."

"So, calling Isobel is your big pitch to win me over?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Call her, tell her that I lied to her, ruin my relationship with her; a relationship which, if you'll remember, has proven very useful to me in the past. I don't care about her, Stefan, because I care about you more."

And at that, Stefan simply nodded and walked away. Katherine stayed where she was, allowing that to simmer and build up, until the inevitable explosion.

* * *

"Fine then Elena," Damon shouted, storming after his ward, "You wanna pout and be all pissy with me, that's just fine! I'll just haul your ass back home, and get Bonnie to keep you there again until you're over this suicidal kick you're on about visiting Originals who want to kill you, and manipulative bitches who want to hand you over to said Originals!"

Stubbornly, Elena simply kept on walking through the house, all the way up to Stefan's room. She slammed the door, satisfied when she heard Damon sigh on the other side and slump against the wall. As noiselessly as possible, she crept over to window, palming the car keys in her pocket. She very stealthily removed them from Damon's bedroom while they were arguing. She crawled down the side of the house and went straight for the car without looking back.

Damon would be along soon, she knew. And he would be in a rage when he realized that she was gone. But she would have to deal with the explosion then.

* * *

"You're not lying?" Stefan grunted from his vantage point of _on top_ of Katherine.

"No," she murmured against his lips, "Not about this Stefan," she screamed nonsense when he tore off her panties and thrust his fingers into her core, "I love you Stefan! Oh God Stefan, I love you!"

She pulled him down to kiss her, reaching, at the same time, to push down his pants and boxers and guide him into her. They moaned as one and arched together.

"I love you!" she shouted again.

"I know!"

* * *

Damon was running through the forest, swearing a blue streak under his breath.

"I'm gonna kill that stupid little brat! I'm gonna lock her up and throw away the key! I'll –"

He skidded to a halt at the entrance to the tomb, and practically threw himself down the steps. From there, he could hear some strange noises echoing along the stone walls.

Grunting, and then "… love you!"

More grunting. "I know!"

The grunting and moaning and screaming continued, along with another sound. Damon, with slow crunching steps, made his way across the main circle, to the edge of the seal. And just across the border, curled up against the wall, sat Elena, her breaths coming fast, and tears streaming down her face.

"Damon," she whispered, looking up at him, "Can you bring me home now?"


	3. Throw The Grenade

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_Darlin', I'd still catch a grenade for ya; throw my hand on a blade for ya; I'd jump in front of a train for ya. You know I'd do anything for ya. I would go through all this pain, take a bullet straight through my brain. Yes, I would die for you baby, but you won't do the same._

* * *

"Damon, can you bring me home now?"

Damon nodded, and Elena hauled herself to her feet and stepped back out from inside the seal. He followed her silently from the tomb, but paused at the car.

"Wait for me here," he said, not making eye contact with her as he turned away from her.

"Whoa no," Elena blurted, grabbing Damon's arm and tugging him back, "You are not going back in there! If you get stuck in the tomb too…" She broke off with a choked sob.

Damon froze.

And then Elena ran.

* * *

It was oddly quiet within the seal, except for the after sounds of Stefan and Katherine's recent activities. Stefan was certain that there was a distinct noise missing, something that he had dimly heard but was too 'busy' to notice.

And then, it came back.

"STEFAN!"

It was Elena. And it blew his world apart.

"STEFAN SALVATORE! YOU GET OUT HERE NOW AND EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

He turned his head, eyes wide, and looked at Katherine lying next to him. She pressed a finger to her lips and remained still.

"Elena, come on, let's go." It was Damon.

"Oh no! I am not leaving until he comes out here and explains what I just heard."

The two were still arguing as Stefan sat up, shook off Katherine's hand, and dressed. When he was within eyeshot of the seal, he glimpsed Damon behind Elena, his arms wrapped around her waist, trying to haul her out of the tomb without hurting her as she flailed desperately to get away.

"Guys…" Stefan mumbled, and all of the commotion on the other side of the doorway halted.

Then it exploded again. Elena redoubled her efforts to pry Damon's arms off of her, and after a moment, the older brother relented, sending her flying across the border and right at Stefan. Without a word, she pursed her lips slapped him, hard, across the face.

Again, everyone was still. And then she slapped him again.

Stefan turned his head to face her, and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. With a huff, she turned on her heel and stormed out the doorway and back up the stairs.

Now Stefan and Damon's eyes met, the former looking bewildered and horrified; the latter, angry beyond words.

"I _cannot_ believe you."

Apparently not quite beyond words.

"Damon, I-"

The dark-haired vampire took a hard step to the edge of the seal and glared at his younger brother.

"Go ahead, try to justify it. Say something, anything, that will make her feel better."

Stefan simply hung his head for a moment, and when he spoke, he didn't meet the other vampire's eyes.

"Call Isobel. She knows how to kill an Original. Tell her she was on the right track, but Katherine led her off to protect herself."

"Great," Damon chuckled darkly, "She bought you out with what is most likely COMPLETELY FALSE INFORMATION!" Stefan flinched, and Damon let out a long breath before continuing in a low voice, "You told me to protect her, and I will. Good luck getting out of here, because you just made her shit list."

And before Stefan could respond, Damon had blurred out. He heard the engine roar to life as Katherine silently wrapped her arms around his waist. He didn't move; didn't speak; didn't _think_. There was nothing left for him to do but sit here in the rubble of what he had done to his life, and try to make sense of it all.

* * *

Elena and Damon were both silent on the entire ride back to her house. She didn't cry, which he had anticipated, and he didn't mutter obscenities, which she had anticipated. The silence wasn't dragging or awkward; it was bonding. They were both appalled, for different reasons, by what they had discovered in the tomb, and they were trying to figure it out. It felt like something that had been building had suddenly exploded, leaving their lives strewn in shrapnel and dead bodies.

Neither of them knew how to pick up the pieces tonight.

When they arrived at the house, they entered quietly, not wanting to awaken Jenna or Jeremy. Or potentially Alaric if he was staying over. Unbidden but not quite discouraged, Damon followed Elena up the stairs to her bedroom, and leaned his back against the door once they were safely inside.

He watched Elena as she stood still, ran her hands through her hair, and then launched into furious but quiet pacing. Then she stopped.

"I really want to yell. I can't believe… No, scratch that, I can believe that this would happen. She wants everything of mine: She has my face, she lives my life, she talks to my friends and family. Of course she would get Stefan in the end."

"Yeah well," Damon began, "It's not all her fault. Stefan could have held out, could have said no. I was there earlier this morning and he didn't say a thing. I have a hard time believing that he just suddenly jumped her with no lengthy provocation." He didn't mention Isobel, didn't want to piss her off more or get her hopes up.

They were quiet again, and Elena returned to her pacing.

"I don't get it," Damon murmured. Off Elena's questioning look, he continued, "I don't understand. He's Stefan; he always does the right thing, always asks for help when he needs it. This isn't something that I ever thought he would do. It's more like –" He stopped short.

"Something you would have done," Elena finished for him. She crossed the room, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly. "You're a good man, Damon." She pulled back to look into his eyes, which reflected surprise, and a tiny bit of something else. "Even if you don't believe it, I do."

And with that, she pulled his face down to hers, and kissed him. It was slow at first, and tentative. And then, when she realized that Damon wasn't pulling away, she let her fingers knit into his hair and kissed him harder.

Shocked into action, Damon let his hand move up and rest on her hips for a moment before moving her closer. He let his tongue slide into her mouth, tangling it with hers. She moaned, and pressed against him, pushing him against the door. As she shifted her arms, her shirt came up, and he grazed the skin that was revealed. Elena gasped a little, but wouldn't pull back.

She tilted her head, and pressed warm kisses along his jaw and down his neck, nipping at the skin there. Her hands released Damon's head, and went to work on the top button of his shirt.

"Damon, I…"

As soon as the button was undone, something in Damon's mind exploded and his eyes snapped open. He pulled back, knocking his head against the door in the process.

"Elena! What… What are we doing?"

For her part, Elena didn't look shy or embarrassed, or even surprised. She looked… lustful?

"Please Damon? Don't you want me?" She pressed her lower half tightly against his, and felt the proof that he certainly did want her. Too bad that, for once, the blood was rushing to his brain instead of his pants.

"Elena," he grabbed her wrists and lowered her arms, "I –" He wanted to tell her everything, wanted to tell her that he wanted her more than anything; that he wanted her every minute of every day; he wanted her to sit next to him on the couch, and talk to him about school. He wanted to tell her that yes, he wanted her in bed. But what came out instead was, "Not tonight."

Now her eyes filled with tears. She spoke in a quiet, broken voice, "Why not? Am I not good enough? Is there something wrong with me? Why can't you want me?"

Her breathing was coming on fast now, and Damon knew that she was getting hysterical. It wasn't a reaction to him, he knew; it was her finally realizing what exactly Stefan had done. She had come on to him for reassurance. And much as Damon wanted to reassure her, _especially_ like this, he knew it was wrong. He wouldn't take advantage of her like this.

But before he could explain this, she had jumped back, wiping angrily at her tears and pacing again, her eyes still on Damon.

"Come on Damon. Don't pretend. I know what you're here for." She flopped down on the bed and crossed her legs.

Damon growled. "Elena, stop this. You aren't thinking clearly, and I won't let you screw yourself up tonight, no matter what you think you need." He stalked over to her dresser and pulled out her pyjamas, tossing them at her over her shoulder. "Get in the bathroom, get changed, and go to bed."

Without argument, probably due to the threatening tone that Damon had adopted, she stood up and rushed into the bathroom.

Now that he was alone, Damon turned his back to the room and leaned against the dresser, looking down. "Dammit!" he mumbled. He tried to shift his pants around, trying to calm down the part of him that was still berating him for not taking Elena when she had asked for it. He was so focused on _not_ being focused on the pressure in his pants, that he didn't hear Elena come back in until she cleared her throat.

"Classy," she quipped once Damon had spun around.

"Shut up, it's your fault. Now get into bed."

Her eyebrows rose, but she obeyed, crawling under the covers and folding her arms petulantly. Damon went to turn off the light, and then situated himself in a chair in the corner of her room.

"Seriously?" she whined, "You're going to sleep in a chair? You can leave, you know. I'm better now. Or you can come over here. I promise, I won't try to rape you again."

Damon snorted. "One, I don't plan on sleeping. And two, I am _not_ getting into that bed tonight."

He wouldn't say anything else, and after a few minutes, Elena was sound asleep.

* * *

When she woke, Elena's eyes immediately flashed to the chair in the corner. Damon was gone, but there was a letter left behind.

_Dear Elena,_

_I know you're hurting. A lot. What Stefan did is unforgivable (but knowing you, you'll probably forgive him, so don't!), but I know that you'll be okay. I'll tell you what you told me… Even if you don't believe it, I do. You're stronger than this._

_Speaking of last night… You have a lot of choices to make. What you wanted last night… _

_You know I have feelings for you. And I hate having to admit that, but that's just who I am, and I have feelings for you. So if you decide, somewhere down the line, that that's something that you want to explore, then great. If you decide that you want to try and work things out with Stefan… Well, I'll probably rip him to pieces, and then give you crap for being stupid. Seriously though, if you don't want to be with either of us, then I'll accept that. But you need to work out your feelings about yourself, about Stefan, and about you and Stefan, before anything happens (with me or anyone else)._

_I'll be around, but I'm going to try to give you the space you need to figure this out._

_I know you, Elena. I know who you are, deep down. I know you're better than this. So be better than this._

_Sincerely,_

_Damon_


	4. Pick Up The Pieces

**A/N: I know! I know! It's been forever! Between the new job responsibilities, coaching 6 basketball teams, one of which won gold at provincials, and moving, I haven't even opened the computer outside of work for about a month. The end of "In The End" should be up hopefully tonight, tomorrow at the latest.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

It had been a week since Elena's world had exploded. Well, Elena's world, and Stefan's, and Damon's.

Elena's and Stefan's, for obvious reasons. Damon's, because he had realized that he had shot himself in the foot. Again.

He had had her. She was all over him, had him back against the door. She wanted it, wanted him. For a brief, shining moment, she was his. And then he ruined it by being the good guy. He had pushed her away, back to Stefan, back to _anyone_, only away from him.

He had gotten back to the boarding house the morning after, and that was where he realized what he had done. The glass of blood in his hand flew across the room and shattered against the wall. Why did he keep doing these things to himself? Why couldn't he just _let_ Elena fall for him?

Damon's entire world had cracked, and was realigning. Stefan wasn't the good brother anymore; maybe he never had been. And he wouldn't be getting out of that tomb anytime soon. And that left Damon alone to pick up the pieces.

In that week, there had been one time that he had been close to her, at The Grill when he was harassing the werewolf lady, Jules, with Alaric. Elena had walked in, seen him. Their eyes met, and Elena smiled kindly at him. Then she abruptly spun on her heel, and left.

That was fine by him. He knew that it was a long shot, trying to promote his own case. As long as she didn't go back to Stefan, then he would be fine with it. It's not like there was any other choice.

* * *

Elena had spent a full day in her bed, paralysed by her feelings about what Stefan had done. Caroline and Bonnie had come over that night, and she confessed everything to them. Except the part about Damon. Then she spent the whole next day freaking out over that.

She had reread his letter countless times. She knew he was right. She couldn't let Stefan back in, no matter what, and she needed to figure out how she felt about that. She loved him still, but she could never trust him again, and that was the difference.

And then, there was the other brother. For a long time, Elena had known that Damon felt something for her. It was obvious, even without Isobel's revelation, and his attempt to kiss her back when Katherine had first arrived. But seeing him confess his feelings, on paper, made her feel strange inside, proud of him and happy for him. And the more that she dwelled on him, a feeling of peace and contentment stole over her.

Too bad she was still so screwed up over Stefan to recognize it.

* * *

There used to be a pattern on the stone ceiling. Over the past few days, Katherine had taken to lying down on the cold floor and staring upwards, trying to decipher the designs and images. She felt like she was making headway. So at least there was that.

After they had been discovered, Stefan had been pretty much destroyed. He sat for hours, guilt-stricken, ashamed. It had gotten to the point where he had crawled toward Katherine, trying to find some sort of comfort or solace from her. But Katherine just got up and left him alone.

It might seem cold. Knowing her, she wouldn't blame anyone for assuming that it was an uncaring move on her part. But something inside of her had changed, and she hated it. Once Elena had confronted Stefan, Katherine had felt a pang of… something. She wasn't sure what; it had been so long since she had felt anything at all. She knew she didn't feel guilty; she had done the right thing. She knew that deep down, Stefan was still in love with her, and it was unfair for everyone involved if he kept it bottled up. Not that she cared for other people at all, but maybe Stefan was rubbing off on her.

It would be unfair to herself and Stefan for obvious reasons; unfair to Elena for her to continue on in her charade of a relationship; and unfair for Damon, who was clearly in love with the doppelganger.

So no, it wasn't guilt that she felt. She realized eventually that she hurt because Stefan hurt. And being near him when he was like this, it only cut deeper, made her hurt more. This epiphany shocked her, broke her up inside, terrified her.

So she didn't leave him alone because she was bored or indifferent. No, she left him alone out of self-preservation. And so, alone, she picked up the remnants of herself, and tried to piece them into something new.

* * *

"Well, at least I've got _that_ choice out of the way," Elena murmured to herself.

She had decided (not like it was much of a decision, really), for good, that she wouldn't be going back to Stefan. Ever.

It was hard. It was her first big relationship, and they had both poured so much of themselves into it, that it was difficult just to let it all go. But she knew that she had to. And, if nothing else, Damon would be beyond pissed if she let Stefan back in.

"And then there was Damon…" Elena huffed, throwing herself onto her bed. "Let's go back to the beginning then…"

She thought back to when she had first met Damon, thinking that he was just her boyfriend's older brother. Sure, she had found him attractive. A little obnoxious, a little sleazy, but unattainably attractive.

Then, she got to know him. And all of the attractive was shoved to the side by the disgust and the fear that she felt whenever she so much as _thought_ about him. He had terrorized her and her friends; he killed without remorse; he was an irredeemable monster.

During their trip to Atlanta, she had started to see him as a friend. He had kept her safe, or, at least, hadn't hurt her. And she had saved his life. People didn't go through that without bonding a little. The attraction crept back in. She started looking at him differently, but she still didn't give it much thought. It would pass. Plus, she was probably just all emotionally confused.

Then all the bad stuff happened: finding out about Alaric and Isobel, Katherine showing up, Jeremy being killed, albeit temporarily. But even beyond that, Damon was still there for her. And he still was. And he probably would be for a very long time.

"I can't even imagine what life would be like without him around…" Elena's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh God!"

* * *

"Can't you just stop ignoring me? You've destroyed my life, _again_; the least you could do is talk to me."

Stefan had finally managed to corner Katherine, and was desperate to talk to her. Or yell at her. Blame her. Hate her. Love her.

_Love_ her?

And yet, she lay still, on her back, staring at the ceiling.

"You cannot honestly be blaming me for what happened? I told you I loved you; you had your way with me. Don't try to fool yourself, because I certainly didn't fool you."

"What have I done?" Stefan's voice had changed, was weaker. "How could I have done this to her?"

"Oh _gawd_," Katherine drawled. She turned her head and rolled her eyes at her companion, "You did _nothing_ to her. You did quite a few things to me. You were doing it to explore something; to catch it before it caught you. To protect her."

She stood up and dusted herself off. "I'm not stupid; I know that you were trying to work me to save her. But then," she stepped directly in front of him, so he had to look straight up to see her face, and she giggled a little, "But then, you actually felt something. And that's what you're feeling so guilty about. It isn't the sex, darling, it's the love."

And as she walked away, again, Stefan hung his head, knowing that it was true.

* * *

"Home of the Whopper; what's your beef?" Damon deadpanned into his phone, clutching his glass of bourbon in his other hand.

"_Damon. Salvatore._" He choked a little at the voice on the end of the line.

"Isobel," he growled.

"_Ah, sweetheart. You've been trying to get ahold of me, haven't you?_"

Damon sighed, knowing full well that she had a point. He'd spent a week calling number after number, leaving messages, trying desperately to find Elena's mother. He wanted to believe, for Elena's sake, that what Katherine had divulged to Stefan was true, so that at least something good could come of the whole situation. So that as they picked up the pieces of what they had been, they could rebuild _something_, instead of just throwing it all back together.

"Katherine," he snapped, "told Stefan that you know how to kill Klaus." She tried to speak, but he interrupted her. "You were on the right track, but she didn't want you to figure it out. You know how the bitch is, right? She fed you the wrong information because she wanted to know more than you."

Isobel was silent for a moment.

"_Well… I do happen to know exactly what you're referring to._" Another long pause as she waited for an answer that never came. "_So let me get this straight, you are expecting me to undertake a hell of a dangerous mission, running around, asking questions, finding things… Things that could get me killed. And I'm supposed to do all of this, what, as a favour to you?_"

Damon was speechless. "Isobel. She. Is. Your. Daughter."

She laughed. "_And I'm pretty sure that I've already demonstrated that that means nothing to me._" There was a shuffling noise. "_Listen, Damon, I'm not doing this alone…_"

"Are you fucking crazy? I am not going anywhere with you!"

"_Well then, I guess little Elena will just have to deal with Klaus all on her own then._"

It was silent again.

"When do we leave?"

* * *

By the time Elena had gotten to the tomb the day that she officially broke up with Stefan, she felt like she'd just fought a battle. Although, she pondered, perhaps she had.

She woke up, and laid in bed for an hour before giving up and heading into the bathroom. She took an extraordinarily long shower; shaving and rinsing and repeating. She even pumiced her feet. Finally, she couldn't reasonably fool herself into staying in the shower any longer, so she got dressed. She changed her outfit four and a half times. She made herself waffles, and burnt the first batch of bacon, so, of course, she had to restart. Then she did the dishes by hand, and dried them, also by hand.

To her credit, by the time she made it to her car, she drove directly to the tomb, although she did sit in the car for twenty minutes. Then she waited at the top of stairs, finally went down, then went back up again, hyperventilated for a little bit, and finally went back down for good. At first, she waited outside the seal, trying to figure out how to get Stefan to reveal himself. And then, without even thinking about it, she crossed the border and shuffled down the hall.

"Stefan?"

There was a clattering noise, and then Stefan appeared in front of her.

"You shouldn't be in here," he said.

"There really isn't anything much more painful that the two of you could do to me," she answered, referring to him and Katherine.

"About that…"

Elena held up a hand. "Don't. Just don't. I didn't come down here to get an explanation; I get it, I've gotten it for a while now. I know that you love her, even though you're still so resentful that you haven't figured it out yet. But that's not why I'm here."

She let that settle for a moment before meeting Stefan's eyes and continuing.

"We're over. It really shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but I have to say it. We're over, for good. I'll never be able to trust you again, Stefan, besides being really angry and hurt about this whole thing."

It was quiet, and Stefan nodded in understanding. Elena turned around and started to walk back to the entrance. Then she stopped and spoke, her back towards him.

"We'll still work to get you out of here, but you won't be coming back to me."

Then she left, a satisfied smile on her face.


	5. Above Everyone

**A/N: For the record, the entire album that this song comes from (Masterpiece Theatre) is just brilliant! Also, the tagline for Klaus (You don't know the whole story until you know Klaus' story) is just so tremendously accurate. Ah!**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_Everyone's around, no words are coming out. And I can't find my breath; can we just say the rest with no sound? And I know this isn't enough, I still don't measure up. And I'm not prepared; sorry is never there when you need it!_

_Good To You by Marianas Trench_

Damon scanned his reflection in his full-length mirror, muttering obscenities all the while. Liz had called him earlier that day, informing him that there was a last-minute event for the Historical Society. Some historical author was coming to town, and he needed to be welcomed properly apparently. Damon had considered simply calling in sick, but two things stopped him.

First, he was now the head of the Founders Council, and as such, had to be present at any and all town events. Joy.

Second, Elena would be there. Joy?

They hadn't spoken since 'That Night' when everything they had thought they'd known had blown apart. And now, Damon wasn't sure whether she would even want to see him or not.

"Probably not," he murmured into his glass of expensive liquor.

He thought back to that night: She had propositioned him, and he, like an idiot, had turned her down. Well, if she had any intention of wanting him before, he pretty much blew that chance. She probably read way too much into it, and changed her mind about him. And that was if she even had been considering him to begin with, which, given the evidence, was doubtful. She was all about Stefan, and was probably avoiding Damon for that reason alone. She had probably forgiven his younger brother, and was visiting him every night at the tomb, and…

The glass in his hand shattered, causing little cuts where the glass was embedded in his skin. Looking down at his outfit, he sighed. Now he'd have to pick out a shirt that didn't have blood splatters all over it.

* * *

Arriving at the Lockwood's, Damon immediately started searching. Unfortunately, he was tracked down by the wrong Gilbert.

"Hey," Jeremy offered in greeting.

Damon eyed him up and down slowly, giving the impression that he didn't give a crap about the boy, when he knew deep down that it wasn't true. He had taken a liking to Elena's little brother, much to his own dismay. Plus, he knew that if he got in good with Jeremy…

"Where's the rest of your family?" Damon asked, nonchalantly.

Jeremy chuckled. "_Elena_ is coming later with Bonnie. They were doing their hair and makeup or some crap." Then he stopped laughing, and looked at Damon with a sober expression. "Listen, she wouldn't tell me what happened last week, but…"

Damon waited. "But?"

"Well," Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "You were there, right? I don't understand. She was practically comatose for two days, and then she just turned it around, and now she's great! What the hell happened?"

Damon himself wasn't too sure what was going on with Elena. He could understand her being upset about what had happened between Stefan and Katherine, but the sudden change in behaviour didn't seem normal. Would she have dared to take the bastard back?

Instead of answering, the vampire just shrugged and strode away. He was finished with the conversation anyway. All he wanted to know was when Elena would be there.

As he wandered through the crowd, he stopped to greet members of the council, conducting a lengthy conversation with Liz about some animal attacks the night that he and Elena were… otherwise occupied. He promised to look into the incident and moved on.

Speaking of animal attacks, he passed by Jules, who had no doubt garnered an invitation from Carol Lockwood herself. He scowled at the werewolf for good measure before weaving toward the bar.

He took the long way around, partially to look for Elena, and partially to avoid certain teenagers that he couldn't stand. Like Caroline, who was standing intimately close to were-Lockwood.

"What's up with that?" Damon mumbled.

"What's up with what?" a familiar voice answered. He turned to see Alaric standing next to him.

"Vampire Barbie and Werewolf Ken over there." Damon pointed them out with his glass. Then he leaned in close to Alaric. "Do you think they slept together?"

Alaric choked on his drink. "Damon! Those are my students!"

But before the teacher could chastise him anymore, Damon was gone again. His rotations around the event space were doing wonders for his nerves. He kept an eye out for Elena's arrival, but really didn't want her to get there. Because when she got there, he would have to tell her that he was leaving. And if she was angry with him, he would feel terrible, which was new. But if she didn't care that he was leaving, then his heart would probably break.

He was trying to avoid these thoughts when he inadvertently looked at the doorway, and his breath left him in a moment. There was Elena, framed by the door, wearing a fitted burgundy cocktail dress, her hair pinned half-up with loose curls trailing down her back. Damon wasn't typically one to really pay attention to what women were wearing, as he much preferred them out of their clothes, but this was just too much.

And that was it; that was all it took for him to go from not wanting to speak to Elena, to being terrified of having to speak to her. What could he possibly say? 'Hey Elena! Forget about that ultimatum that I gave you. I'm gonna skip town with your mom (who I fucked a few years back), while you stay here and fight for your life. Sorry 'bout your luck!' But she was still moving towards him, and he still had no idea what he could possibly say to her.

The look on her face when she met his eyes did absolutely nothing to dispel his fears. She had a distinctly unpleasant look on her face and she strode without hesitation into the room and straight towards him. He felt like he was rooted to the spot, and he couldn't move even if he wanted to. Which, he kind of wanted to.

Too late.

"Thank God you're here Damon!" Elena whispered breathlessly once she'd gotten to him.

He cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Really? Why Elena, I never –" His remark was cut off when she shushed him, her finger pressed against his lips.

"Have you seen Jenna?"

Damon frowned. He had seen the teacher, but not the aunt. He shook his head.

"Well, she's the one who's been showing this historical guy around town." She waited for Damon's reaction, and when he shrugged, she continued. "The historical guy is Elijah, Damon. He was there, at my house earlier. He… Oh God Damon…," she looked around frantically, "He could have killed her, and… Hey! Let go of me!"

The second that Elena had said the name 'Elijah', Damon had grabbed her by the arm and started shuffling her towards the door. "Where do you think we're going? We're getting gone," he growled.

"No!" Elena tried to pull her arm back gently, so as not to raise the suspicions of the fellow party-goers. Once they had gotten to an empty side-room, she stabbed his leg with the heel of her shoe, and spun out of his grasp. "Damon, he has Jenna. We can't just leave her… We can't just leave all of these people with him."

He rolled his eyes and hunched over to rub his leg. "Fine then, what do you recommend that we do?"

"Well, he's here for a reason…"

"To kill you."

"Well, yes," she seemed much calmer now that they were alone, without an audience, "But if he wanted me dead _now_ he would have killed me and Jenna and probably Jeremy back at the house."

"So you just want to wait around for him to come and kidnap you?" Elena looked at the floor, and the silence became heavy. "Oh no," Damon continued urgently, "You are not still on this fucking suicide bend."

Her head snapped up. "What the hell else am I supposed to do Damon? Either he kills everyone, and takes me, or he just takes me. At least this way, everyone that I care about is safe." She looked directly at him as she said the last part, but Damon was too flustered to notice.

They argued back and forth for a few minutes, but when it became clear that Elena wasn't budging, Damon threw his hands up, exasperated.

"Fine," he snapped, "We'll stay; we'll party; we'll probably die. But," he grabbed her hand tightly in his, "You do not leave my side for a second. Got it?"

She nodded curtly and they made their way out to the party, Damon's mind clear of any goal but keeping Elena breathing for the evening.

* * *

It was a little after seven o'clock when Elijah was called upon to do a speech. When he was finished, he walked off the stage to meet Jenna. Damon and Elena stood in a corner, watching the Original like a pair of hawks. He surprised them, however, when he turned from Jenna and started toward the corner, his eyes on Elena. Coincidentally, the crowd parted, allowing him to quickly stride to where they were, and directly in front of his target.

"Miss Gilbert, how lovely it is to see you again." He smiled, and prised her hand free of Damon's to place a light kiss on her knuckles. "May we speak privately for a moment?"

Elena's eyes widened, and Damon stepped forward. "Over my dead body."

Elijah snickered. "As convenient as that would be, Mr. Salvatore, I'll simply ask you," his eyes met Damon's, "To stand aside. You may speak with Elena again in, oh, I believe an hour should be sufficient."

To his surprise, Damon found his feet moving him toward the wall, opening the way for Elijah to offer Elena his arm, and guide her out the door.

The last thing she did on her way out was look back at Damon, her eyes communicating a million different sentiments at once. And all Damon could do was watch her go.


	6. Between The Lines

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_Thought I saw a sign, somewhere between the lines. Maybe it's me, maybe I only see, what I want. But I still have your letter; just got caught between someone I just invented, who I really am and who I've become._

_Good To You by Marianas Trench_

* * *

"You have a very nice home, Elena. I believe that I mentioned something to the effect when I was here earlier."

Elena didn't answer, only led Elijah through the doorway and followed him up the stairs. She was shaking. She didn't think that she would be this blindly scared, but she was. When they got to her bedroom, he motioned for her to sit on the bed, and she did. He sat down next to her and smiled.

"That's a very nice dress."

"What do you want?" she choked out.

Elijah sighed. "I just want to have a little chat. But trying to speak to you through your bodyguards is not going to suffice."

"Are you going to take me to Klaus now?"

"Not now, no. In point of fact, I believe that you misunderstand my intentions entirely." He stood up to walk around the room, rummaging through her things. "I have no desire to see the curse lifted, and I am here to make a deal with you to that end."

Elena's eyes widened. "What kind of a deal?"

"The kind of deal where I use you to draw Klaus out, and none of your friends are harmed in the process."

"And then?"

"And then I kill Klaus, and that's the end of the story."

Elena couldn't believe it. It seemed too good to be true. "You'll just kill him, just like that?"

"Just like that?"

"And none of my friends will be hurt?"

"Not a hair on any of their heads." When it became apparent that Elena wasn't going to ask any more questions, Elijah continued. "I'm a man of my word Elena. I make a deal; I keep a deal. If you can manage to stay here and stop trying to get yourself killed, I will ensure that your life remains as peaceful as possible." He stopped for a moment to smile reassuringly. "Please, take a moment to consider it."

She knew that that was a joke. If she turned him down, he would just grab her now and keep her locked up until it was time to use her. At least this way, she could stay with her friends and family. The people that she cared about would remain safe and free and…

"I'll accept. But on one condition."

"Are you negotiating with me?" Elijah seemed to find this particularly entertaining, but decided to humour her anyway.

"In the tomb under the church," Elena began.

"I know it. Katerina is trapped there. And, may I say that I appreciate the convenience that that offers."

"Stefan Salvatore is trapped there with her." Elijah nodded. "I want him released."

The Original thought it over for a moment. "The protection of your friends and family, and the release of Stefan Salvatore from the tomb under the church, in exchange for your cooperation. Is that all?"

Elena nodded and offered her hand. Elijah took it and they shook, their eyes meeting.

"Thank you Elena. I look forward to speaking with you again soon." He turned to leave. "Oh, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to contact me. Jenna has all of my information." He winked, and then disappeared faster than Elena could see.

* * *

Exactly an hour later, Elena was sitting alone on her bed, still wearing her dress and shoes, completely still. When she heard the front door slam, she jumped and glanced up at the door. Damon burst into the room, and she felt her mouth break into a smile.

"Hey," she said softly in greeting.

Damon looked around the room a few times, almost as though he was unaware of Elena's presence. Then he met her eyes, and he frowned in confusion. "What the fuck?"

Elena laughed. "He's gone Damon. He's going to help." When Damon still looked confused, she explained to him the situation.

"I asked him to release Stefan from the tomb," she revealed in a small voice.

Damon was quiet for a moment. "You did what?" he hissed.

She rose from the bed, and stood in front of her companion. "He's on his way there now, so there's nothing you can do about it. You know it's the right thing to do, Damon. He's your brother, and he's my… ex-boyfriend I guess. But whether he's with me or Katherine, he still has a reason to want Klaus out of the picture. And," she suddenly looked mischievous, "The more he's separated from Katherine, the better. That bitch is bad news."

She had started pacing, but jumped when Damon let out a bark of laughter. "God you're amazing Elena."

She blushed, but suddenly changed expressions and looked nervous. "And there's something else that we need to talk about." She was looking at him severely, so Damon rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Alright Elena, I know what you're probably going to say –"

"Damon," she interrupted, "I've been doing a lot of thinking about what you said, or wrote, and I've figured a lot of stuff out. For one, I'm not going to lie and say that I'm in love with you, because I'm not –"

Damon flinched as she said it, and cut her off. "See, I knew you were going to say that, so I think that it would be a whole lot easier –"

"… But I could be."

"… If I just leave."

* * *

In retrospect, Elena would figure that she should have seen the simple comedy of the situation. However, in the moment, she was far too distracted by her own admittedly violent tendencies to notice.

"Wait, what?" they both exclaimed at once.

Damon dove in first. "I have to leave. I can explain it all, but –"

He never got to finish his sentence. Elena interrupted him by slamming her fist into his face.

"You're leaving?"

"Hey! What the hell! You just punched me!"

"You're leaving?"

"What happened to the good old days when you used to just slap me?"

Slap.

"Fuck!"

"You're leaving?"

"Stefan cheated on you, and you only slapped him twice. I don't think this is fair."

Slap.

"God dammit! What was that for?"

"I slapped Stefan twice; I figured that you needed another one to make it fair." A moment of silence, then: "You're leaving?"

Damon took a break from rubbing his reddened jaw to grab Elena by the arms, spin her around and drop her on her bed before taking a big step away from her.

"Katherine told Stefan that Isobel knows how to kill Klaus. I got ahold of her, and it turns out that tomb-bitch was telling the truth about mom-bitch. Isobel needs help to get it all together I guess, and she said that she won't do it unless I go with her." He tensed upon finishing his sentence, waiting for Elena to jump up and hit him again.

Instead, she simply looked up at him calmly, and said softly: "Get out."

He took a step towards her. "Elena, come on, we can –"

"I said," she stood up and narrowed her eyes, "Get out."

Damon opened his mouth to argue again, but thought the better of it. He turned on his heel and stormed out of her room and down the stairs, slamming the door on his way out.

* * *

Elena waited a full two minutes, standing completely still, her eyes still glued to the door. When she was sure he was gone and out of earshot, she felt her face fall, and tears spill down her cheeks.

Silently, she walked into the bathroom and carefully took off her dress. That made her feel even worse. She had spent the better part of her week shopping with Caroline, thinking about what Damon would like her in. He hadn't even mentioned the dress; not that she'd given him much of a chance.

She spent over half an hour under the warm spray of the water, and when she finally got out, she dressed in shorts and an oversized t-shirt, threw herself onto her bed, and cried herself to sleep.


	7. Out of Sight

**A/N: I was modifying my outline for this story, and for some reason, I keep adding more S/K stuff. Very strange indeed.**

**Also, poll question: What do you guys think of 'one-shots'? I just posted one, and I'm toying with the idea of two more. Yay, or nay?**

**Some of the dialogue here is straight out of the episode By The Light of the Moon. I don't own it.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_She said 'Baby don't leave; Be home, stay close, be close to me; Boy don't be gone, boy don't be gone'  
He said 'Baby you know I gotta run, I gotta go; I won't be long, girl I won't be long'_

_The Sweater Song by Hedley_

* * *

Katherine was humming as she ran her fingers through Stefan's hair. He had fallen asleep, his head in her lap. They hadn't been doing much talking or much of anything really. They hadn't had blood in over a week. It had been days since anyone had been down to see them, although they weren't particularly surprised by that.

"Are you going to keep humming forever?"

Katherine smiled, looking down on Stefan, whose eyes were still closed. "I thought you were sleeping."

"I was," he sat up and slid next to her, "But the noise woke me up."

Just as she was about to retort, they heard a scraping noise from the entrance. They looked at each other, and then scrambled up.

Katherine was the first to reach the seal, but when she did, she leapt back, eyes wide.

"Elijah."

Stefan was staring at The Original, unaware that he was even still alive.

"Good evening Katerina," Elijah said smoothly, "Thank you for having the good sense to be frightened." Katherine's mouth was working, but no sound was coming out. The focus then shifted to Stefan. "Your release has been requested."

"What?" both Stefan and Katherine cried at once. The younger continued with, "By who?"

Elijah smiled, losing his focus momentarily before drifting back. "The lovely Elena drives a hard bargain. However, we reached a peaceful agreement, she and I."

Katherine choked and stepped forward. "Elena? Elena asked for his release?"

"Yes. I do like her. She is a much more pleasant doppelganger to deal with than the last one." His eyes fell on Katherine and he smirked before glancing at Stefan. "Please… Come."

Stefan shook his head, but shuffled forward a little. "I can't."

The Original rolled his eyes. "Yes, you can. I've had the spell lifted." Stefan slid forward and across the border. The moment his foot dropped outside the doorway, Katherine bolted, and slammed into Elijah's chest.

"As for you, however," his eyes narrowed and his pupils dilated, "You should not exit until I say so. When Klaus comes, he will want to know exactly where you are."

And with that, Elijah was gone.

"Stefan," Katherine croaked, "Stefan, you can't leave me here."

He looked from her, to the stairs, and back again. "I'll come back," he blurted.

She shook her head, and whispered, "No, you won't. You're leaving me in here to rot."

At this, Stefan hesitated. He was free. He could leave. There was nothing stopping him. And yet…

* * *

It was still relatively early when Damon got back to the boarding house; not even ten o'clock. It didn't matter; he felt like he'd been awake for two weeks as he lazily removed his suit and dropped it on the floor of the house, leaving a trail from the front door to his bedroom.

He hopped in the shower and tried _not_ to think about Elena. But after a few minutes, he gave up, stalking, still dripping wet, into his bedroom and running his fist through the wall. It wasn't until he went to grab himself a towel that he realized that his clothes weren't where he left them. And sure enough, upon his return to his bedroom, he found his suit in a pile on his bed, next to his brother.

"Hey," Stefan said.

"Get out."

The younger stood up. "Did you find Isobel?"

Instead of answering, Damon simply threw the nearest object at Stefan, which happened to be a pillow.

"I'll take that as a no?"

"I'm pretty sure I just told you to GET THE FUCK OUT!"

With a sigh, Stefan turned and left the room.

* * *

The sun hadn't even risen yet, though the sky was brightening, when Damon let himself into Elena's room via her unlocked window. His car was packed and parked outside, but he couldn't just leave things as they were before making his way to New York to meet Isobel.

He crept from her window to the bedand simply sat on the edge for a few minutes, eyes on the horizon, trying to plan what he could possibly say to make her feel better.

"Mmmm… Damon?"

His head twisted around so fast, he was surprised it didn't come right off.

"Hey Elena," he whispered, still staring out the window.

"What are you doing here?" She sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"If you promise not to hit me…" He glanced in her direction and caught the dark look she was giving him. "I came to say goodbye before I head out."

"What!" At this, she leapt out of bed, and moved to stand in front of him, as if she could stop him from leaving. "You're leaving right now?" He simply nodded, looking down at the floor. "But, that isn't enough time."

"I'll be back soon enough." His voice was full of irritation. He didn't understand why she was still so upset. "It isn't forever; it's not like I'm going out to war or anything." He chuckled, remembering that no one but Stefan had been the tiniest bit concerned when he actually had gone to war, way back when.

Elena took a step closer to him. "When will you be back?" she asked in a small voice, ignoring his rude tone.

He just shrugged in response, still not looking at her.

She let out a sound similar to a growl. "So you give me a choice, you confess that you have 'feelings', and when I say that I want to be with you, you bail? Is that right?"

"I'm not bailing!" He stood up suddenly. "Maybe if you hadn't opened your speech with 'I don't love you'… And, in my defense, how could I have known that you… You've been avoiding me for over a week."

"I was thinking things through! I was doing what you told me to do!"

"And I'm doing what I need to do to keep you safe!" Damon grabbed Elena by the arms. "Why can't you understand that?"

She pulled away. "Keep me safe? You're leaving me here alone! What happens if…" She bit her bottom lip and crossed her arms over her chest.

"If what?" He snapped. "You have your precious saviour Elijah watching your back. Mind you, he's probably just looking for a good place to stick the knife." Elena sighed in exasperation. "And now you've gotten Stefan out of the tomb, I'm sure that you two will pick up your epic romance right where you left off."

"Damon!" she cried, stepping forward and grabbing his face, "I don't want Stefan. I broke up with Stefan. I'm done with Stefan. I want you!"

The room was silent as they both absorbed her words. A smile tugged at Damon's lips as he struggled to keep a straight face. Elena, for her part, had gasped, stepped back and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Elena," Damon started, the smirk breaking through.

"Just go, Damon." She closed her eyes and dropped her hands next to her body. "If you're gonna leave, just do it."

Unseen by Elena, he tried to find something to say, his mouth opening and closing comically before he could find the words. "I'll call you in a few days."

Her eyes snapped open. "Don't bother. I won't answer."

Damon simply nodded curtly, and before Elena could take another breath, he was gone. The breeze from the open window fluttered the curtains, and the sun's rays peeked over the horizon. Frustrated, she slammed the window shut, locked it, and went back to bed.


	8. Distraction

**A/N: Another poll question - This story is primarily Delena, but is anyone interested in the Stefan/Katherine stuff too? On a completely unrelated note, credit for this song choice, and subsequently quite a bit of inspiration for this story, goes out to _suziraye_, who had reviewed In The End and recommended this song.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door. Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before. And I wonder if I ever cross your mind? For me it happens all the time._

_Need You Now by Lady Antebellum_

* * *

Elena's phone rang for the third time that day, and for the third time that day, she ignored it. Or, a t least, she checked the caller ID, suppressed the feeling of excitement that stole over at the sight of Damon's name, hit the 'End' button, and threw the phone across her bed. Caroline and Bonnie exchanged glances as their friend let out a sigh of exasperation and glared out the window; the same window that she kept expecting Damon to appear through.

"I don't think ignoring him is gonna fix anything," Caroline offered.

Shocked out of her reverie, Elena reddened. "Ignoring who now?"

Bonnie and Caroline answered at once. "Stefan."

"Listen, guys," the brunette leaned forward conspiratorially, "I told Stefan when he was still trapped that when he got out, he shouldn't bother coming to see me. I know that you guys are friends with him, but…"

Both of the other girls shook their heads.

"Sweetie," Caroline took Elena's hand, "It's Girl Code: We're on your side. The scumbag cheated on you. With his ex." Bonnie was nodding along with the blonde's affirmations. "No matter how hot or helpful he's been, he hurt you. And that isn't okay with us."

Elena, for her part, was surprised. Sure, Bonnie wasn't a fan of her dating a vampire, but she had become friends with Stefan. And sometimes, it felt like Caroline was more Stefan's friend than Elena's.

"Thanks guys!" The three of them hugged, and, after a beat, pulled back, the vampire and the witch looking expectant.

"So," Bonnie began, "Who is it?"

Elena's mouth moved soundlessly for a moment. She had avoided talking to anyone about her Damon issue. But given what Caroline had just said, she couldn't justify keeping it from them anymore.

"Well, it's…" she took a deep breath, "'K, promise not to freak out." The other girls nodded. "It's Damon."

"What?" Bonnie shook her head. "I don't understand. Why does Damon keep calling you? And why are you ignoring him? And why doesn't he just come over here and bug you?"

With a sigh, Elena dove into the whole story, starting with her attempted seduction of Damon, and ending with his departure.

"Elena," Caroline said after her friend had finished the story, "I just don't understand why you got so mad at him. I mean, yeah, he put you in an awkward position, and now he's gone. But he said that it was for your protection, right?"

"But what if I'm unprotected here?" Elena scowled.

"Hey!" Bonnie exclaimed, "Between me and-and Caroline, you're covered. And you've got Elijah now too, and Stefan."

Elena just grumbled a little as the girls returned to their homework. They spent the rest of the afternoon in relative silence. When it was finally time for them to vacate the Gilbert household, Caroline hung back as Bonnie said goodbye. When they were alone, the blonde pulled her friend into a tight hug.

"Don't tell anyone that I'm saying this," she whispered into Elena's ear, "But just call him."

* * *

The next morning, Elena awoke to a particularly gloomy Monday. The weather did nothing to dispel her mood, and she took her time getting ready and heading to school. She only pulled into the parking lot with five minutes to spare before the bell.

She doodled her way through her first class, only listening with half an ear to what her biology teacher was saying about predators and prey. She thought about vampires and werewolves, how they were both hunters and hunted to each other; about how humans were only ever the prey; about the predatory look in Damon's eyes whenever she had caught him staring at her; the look that sent tingles down her spine, and butterflies to her belly.

When the bell rang, Elena shook her head, and went off to History. She walked into the class, rearranging the books in her arms. When she looked up, she saw Stefan sitting at the desk next to her own. She stopped for a moment, and when their eyes met, she took a step back. But before she could move any further, Alaric rushed into the room, giving her a little push toward her seat.

"I want to thank you, Elena," Stefan whispered as she sat down.

She simply turned to look at him, her lips pursed, and mouthed the words, "Fuck off," before turning to face the front of the class.

Yet again, she couldn't focus on the subject matter, her distraction now caused by the other, now much less appealing, Salvatore brother. At the end of the class, Caroline met her at the door, looped their arms together, glared at Stefan, and swept Elena off to their next class.

The rest of the day passed in a similar fashion, Elena swinging from distraction due to the absence of Damon, to distraction due to the presence of Stefan.

As she and Caroline were walking to the parking lot after school, Elena's phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out, but before she could see the caller ID, Caroline grabbed it and answered the call.

"Stop calling, jackass. If she needs to talk to you, she'll get ahold of you. And the fact that you called the minute school was done is just creepy."

"Thanks," Elena grinned as the blonde handed her back the phone.

"No problem. Just… Remember what I said yesterday."

Caroline winked and Elena nodded, and they went their separate ways.

* * *

Damon blinked at the phone in his hand a few times. When he finally wrapped his head around what just happened, he looked up and continued down the hotel hallway, muttering the whole way.

"Stupid fucking Caroline… Stupid fucking Elena for talking to stupid fucking Caroline… Stupid fucking teenagers being so stupid fucking crazy!"

He unlocked his hotel room door and shoved it open roughly, not bothering to turn on more lights than the lamp that was already on as he headed straight for the mini-bar.

"Well, aren't we in a pissy mood?"

Damon stopped in his tracks and looked to his right, finding Isobel sitting on his bed, looking, for the entire world, as though she belonged there.

"Could be that someone broke into my hotel room," he spat, striding past her.

"Oh, lover…" Isobel had gotten up and come behind Damon, placing her hands on each of his shoulders.

She opened her mouth to continue her sentence when he suddenly spun around, wrapped a hand around her throat and blurred them both into a wall.

"Listen up, because I'm only going to say this once," Damon growled into Isobel's ear, "We are not friends; we are not acquaintances; and if the opportunity arises for you to _die_ while we're on this escapade, then all the better for me. I am here for Elena, your daughter, just like you should be."

He slammed her head against the wall and then dropped her unceremoniously to the ground. She rose to her feet, rubbing her throat, but smiling maliciously.

"Aw, Damon… Is that why you're in such a bad mood? Did she shut you out again? Smart girl if that's the case." She chuckled a little, and then disappeared out the door as Damon lunged for her again.

"Stupid fucking Pierce's… Petrova's… Whatever the fuck they are!" He tossed back a shot of whiskey and relished in the feeling as it burned its way down his throat. "Stupid fucking women!"

* * *

Katherine was trying to sleep as she felt her body shut down. She was laying on the ground, flat on her back, her legs straight up against the wall. Every so often, she would turn her head toward the entrance of the tomb, hoping to see Stefan there. It was a vain hope, and she knew it. First, she would hear Stefan before she would actually see him. And second, well, odds were that he wouldn't come back down.

And that was the mindset she was in on the day that she was genuinely surprised. She heard a scraping, and before she could stand up, Stefan appeared in the doorway with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He was at her side in an instant.

"Hey," he said gently, "How are you feeling?"

She rolled her eyes as she sat up. "How do you think I'm feeling? I'm stuck in here, alone, and I haven't had any blood in a week and a half."

Wordlessly, Stefan opened the duffel bag to reveal a number of full blood bags. He handed her one, and then proceeded to pull out a few other items: a change of clothes, a couple of books, a towel, and a spray bottle. Katherine held up the bottle, and eyed it with amusement.

"What, in case a cat comes down here, and I need to scare it?" She laughed at her own joke.

Stefan pointed at the bottle. "You were complaining, before I left, about not being able to shower. Well, there you go: Shower in a bottle." He looked quite pleased with himself.

Katherine did nothing for a moment. And then she leaned over, and kissed him chastely on the cheek. "Thank you." She took one of the books and flipped it over in her hands. "And what's this?"

"Ah, that…" Stefan began, sliding against the wall and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "That is homework. Bonnie stole some of these grimoires from her new witch friend, and I offered my services to try and find information about Klaus in them."

She dropped the book like it had bitten her, and grabbed a blood bag. "And what does that have to do with me?"

Stefan gave her a look as though to say 'Are you fucking kidding me?' "Well, it is sort of your problem. And it's not like you have anything better to do."

She gave him a wicked smirk at that comment, threw the now empty blood bag to the side, and moved to straddle him. "I, for one, can think of way better things to do." She began kissing her way down his neck, but stopped when he didn't react. "What's wrong?"

Stefan heaved a sigh and placed his hands on her hips. "I just… I feel bad about how everything worked out." He tucked Katherine's hair behind her ear and continued. "I saw Elena today at school, and –"

She cut him off with a kiss. "Hey," she whispered against his lips, "It was bound to happen, and we all know it. This has nothing to do with hurting her; it's about doing what's right for us. And," she pressed herself tighter against his chest, "The happier I am, the more likely I am to do research to save her life." She nipped at his earlobe. "So really, what we do down here is for the greater good."

At that, she felt Stefan slowly start to unzip her dress. "Well when you say it like that…"


	9. Leave A Message And I'll Call You Back

**A/N: Argh! The neighbour that I was scamming internet off of moved, and the internet provider forgot to come hook us up. They can't come until the 21st. Disgruntled! Again, shout out to suziraye for this song! Anyways, I think that you guys will like this chapter :) Enjoy!**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now. Said I wouldn't call but I've lost all control and I need you now. And I don't know how I can do without. I just need you now._

_Need You Now by Lady Antebellum_

* * *

When Stefan got home, he was surprised to find Elena's car in his driveway. He checked it out as he walked by, looking for any clue as to why she would be here. She had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him, but maybe she was looking for Damon. Sure, Stefan hadn't seen his brother since that one time when he got out of the tomb, but he was probably around somewhere.

He entered the house silently and creeped along the hallway to the salon, where he saw Elena standing, looking pensive, in front of the liquor cart. She jumped a little when Stefan cleared his throat, announcing his presence.

"Hey," he said gently, "What are you doing here?"

He could see from the way she was now standing that she was guarded, and it pained him to know that he deserved it. Her arms were tightly folded across her chest, her shoulders were hunched, and she was tapping the toes of one foot against the floor.

"I –" she stopped for a moment to come up with an answer, "I don't know what I'm doing here." She turned to glance at the liquor cart, shook her head, and then stooped to pick up her purse, heading for the door behind Stefan. "I'm just being stupid."

"Whoa!" He threw out an arm to block her. "Were you looking for me?" She laughed, a quick, scornful sound. "Looking for Damon?"

"Damon's gone, Stefan. I just told you, I don't know what I'm doing here. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

He turned to follow her with his eyes, but he was very confused. "What do you mean, 'Damon's gone'? Where did he go?"

Elena spun on her heel, anger taking over her features. "Seriously? You and Katherine sent him on some stupid wild goose chase with Isobel, and he left me here alone! So there it is… You guys get your happily ever after, and here I am, alone. Happy?"

Stefan blinked a couple of times, and reached out a hand in Elena's direction. "Hang on. He actually went?"

Her jaw dropped and she seemed stunned for a moment. Then, without warning, she shrieked. It was a painful sound to hear; an exclamation born of frustration and rage and confusion. She was doubled over with the force of it, like it was stronger than she was. When it looked like it was dying down, Stefan stepped toward her, arms out, but she pulled back.

"Don't Stefan… Just, don't."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He didn't entirely understand the situation: He knew that she would be beyond angry about what he had done to here; that was fair. But he didn't understand this anger about Damon.

She laughed with disbelief. "Not really." She was quiet, looking around the room awkwardly until finally she met Stefan's eyes again. "How's Katherine?"

As one, they moved toward the couch and sat down on opposite ends.

"Katherine's… Well, she's doing fine I guess. I brought her some supplies after school. And she's doing some research for us, to find a way to get rid of Klaus." Elena looked sceptical, so he pressed on. "She has enough to lose too, I guess. And, I think she felt bad about how everything happened. I mean, she's still Katherine, so she isn't that remorseful about anything. But she was spun, after you found out. If that makes a difference."

Elena shook her head. "It really doesn't."

"So, did you want to talk about Damon? Why are you so angry with him?"

For a brief moment, she hesitated. "Well, I guess if you're gonna talk about Katherine, I can talk about Damon."

Stefan frowned. "How is that the same – Oh my God! You… You and Damon?"

"Not really, but yes." Elena laughed at the look on Stefan's face, and then she dove into her story.

When she'd finished, Stefan was still frowning. "So you just moved right on to him?"

"Excuse me?" Elena scoffed. "I'm pretty sure that you moved on while we were still together."

"But you've had these feelings for a while? All those times that you said that the two of you were just friends…"

"Hey!" she leapt up from her seat on the couch, "First off, we _were_ just friends, and I probably would never have even realized how I felt about him if you hadn't cheated on me with Katherine. And on that note, you promised me the whole time that we were together that you hated her."

"We have a history!" Stefan exclaimed, attempting, and failing, to defend himself.

"Which makes it worse!" She took a moment to calm down, and when she looked at him again, her gaze was steely. "I'm leaving now. See you at school. Oh," she had moved toward the door, but stopped to face him again, "Say hi to your girlfriend for me."

And with that, she was gone.

* * *

Elena was hardly in her car for a moment before she had zoomed out of the driveway, muttering obscenities under her breath. She hadn't been driving for two minutes before she let out a cry of frustration, pulled the car over, slammed it into park and then leapt out. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, and then paused.

She didn't want to follow her first instinct; she had promised herself that she wouldn't follow _that_ train of thought. She could call Caroline, but her friend was already dealing with enough issues of her own, between Tyler the werewolf, Tyler the love interest, and Matt the ex. She could call Bonnie, but that friend was busy too. She didn't want to talk to Jeremy about it, and Jenna wouldn't understand. With a sigh, she acknowledged that she was making up excuses. She knew who she wanted to call.

With a shaking hand, she dialled the familiar number, and brought the phone up to her ear.

"_This is Damon. Leave a message."_

"Ah!" She hadn't planned on him not answering, although it made sense. She disconnected the call, and took a deep breath before calling him back again.

"_This is Damon. Leave a message."_

"Um… Hi… It's Elena. Just calling to say 'Hey', I guess. I just, well, I went to your house, and Stefan was there, and we got into an argument, and I didn't really want to talk to anyone else about it. So, call me back, and I'll answer this time. Thanks. I… Well… Bye."

* * *

Damon wiped his hands on the back of Isobel's jacket as she recoiled.

"Don't do that!" she chastised him. "This is brand new!"

"Well," he said with a wicked grin, "Maybe you shouldn't have even mentioned the doppelganger, and I wouldn't have had to kill him with my bare hands. Next time, you'll think before you –" He was interrupted by the sound of his phone beeping, indicating a missed call.

He checked the screen, and blinked a few times to see Elena's name pop up twice, accompanied by the notification of a voicemail. He held the handset to his ear, and listened to the message, frowning.

He waited until they got back to their hotel before he called her back.

"_Hi!" _Well, she sounded happy.

"Hey… Are you okay?"

"_Um… Yeah. I'm sorry. I guess it kind of sounded urgent."_

"Well, whatever he said, I'm not complaining since it got you to call me."

She laughed nervously. _"Yeah, I know that I said that I wouldn't call, but when I left after the fight with Stefan, you were the only person I wanted to call._"

Damon unlocked the door to his hotel room, and poured himself a drink. "What did he say to get you all upset?"

He sat down and reclined on his bed as she vented to him. When she finished, he told her what he and Isobel had been up to.

"_So where are you now?"_ He heard a door open and close in the background.

He lowered his voice teasingly. "I'm in my bed… Just relaxing after a long day."

"_Mmm… Sounds nice. What are you – Hey! What are you trying to pull?" _He heard her giggle, and it made him smile.

He shifted a little lower on the bed. "I am not responsible for where your mind goes young lady. And I'm a little insulted that the thought of me in a bed would automatically take you to such a dirty place. I'm just trying to have a conversation here."

She laughed again. _"I'll just bet you were. But I have to let you go. I have studying, and I have to call Caroline back since I've missed a couple of her calls."_

Damon let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. I'll just sit here, alone, thinking of you."

Elena was silent for a moment, and he could practically hear her eyes widen and her cheeks flush. _"Well, right, well… Have a good night then."_

"Oh, I will…" He let that linger, and then answered seriously: "Good night Elena."

* * *

It was getting late by the time Elena finally turned out the lights and got into bed. She crawled under the covers and let her mind drift away to the night that she had discovered Stefan and Katherine together in the tomb.

"_You're a good man, Damon. Even if you don't believe it, I do."_

_And with that, she pulled his face down to hers, and kissed him. It was slow at first, and tentative. And then, when she realized that Damon wasn't pulling away, she let her fingers knit into his hair and kissed him harder. _

_Damon moved his hand to rest on her hips before pulling her closer to him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, and she moaned. A second later, she pressed against him, and moved her hands over his shoulders so he was trapped between her and the door. Her shirt rode up, and Damon's fingers found the newly-revealed patch of skin. She gasped at the contact, and he moved his hands up, pulling her shirt off as she went to work unbuttoning his shirt._

"_Elena, maybe we should –" He was cut off when her lips found his again, and neither of them bothered to talk anymore._

_When he lifted her, she wrapped her legs around his waist, and they moved to her bed. He pressed her back into the mattress, holding himself up with one arm, and allowing his free hand to travel along her bare midsection, leaving feather-light touches along the boundaries of her bra. _

_They rolled, and Elena ground onto Damon's restrained erection from her position on top of him. He reached around her and unclipped her bra, tugging it off and throwing it across the room. He sat up and pulled a nipple into his mouth._

"_Damon," she gasped._

A loud knocking woke Elena from her dream, and she sat up in surprise, still breathing hard and processing what had just happened. Then the person knocked again, and she got up, her legs shaking, and made her way to the door.

"Yes?" she snapped sleepily at the person requesting entrance. Jeremy slipped into the room, laughing quietly.

"You are so lucky that Jenna snuck out to stay over at Ric's," he chuckled.

Elena got defensive and crossed her arms. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Yeah, right," he eyed her suspiciously, "I don't know what the hell you were just dreaming about, but for my sake, please stop screaming 'Damon! Damon!' okay? I really don't wanna know."

She blushed furiously, which only caused Jeremy to snicker more. "I wasn't…"

"Yeah, okay. Look, if you don't want to tell me what's been going on with you, that's fine. But," he turned to leave, and Elena caught him by the arm.

"No, wait… I forgot that you didn't know."

And for the third time in two days she dove into her tail. By the time she was finished, and Jeremy had gone back to his room, it was the wee hours of the morning, but she didn't feel the least bit tired. She was also a little worried about going back to sleep. Much as she'd like to continue her dream, she was already mortified about having woken Jeremy up once.

With a sigh, she turned to the bathroom, and slowly made her way to the cold shower.


	10. Absence Makes The What Grow Stronger?

**A/N: So, I really have no idea where this S/K stuff is coming from, but it just keeps creeping in! But we're coming up to 2 straight pure Delena chapters, so at least there's that.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_Boy I think about it every night and day. I'm addicted, wanna jam inside your love._

_Just Can't Get Enough by Black-Eyed Peas_

* * *

Dear Diary;

I need to figure out a solution to this problem. What is this problem? Excellent question.

Normally, I would talk to Caroline or Bonnie if I have a problem. Lately, it would be something that I would talk to Damon about. We talk on the phone every day; sometimes twice a day. But this issue is a little embarrassing.

At first, it was just while I was sleeping. Every time I would close my eyes, I would see Damon. Which isn't a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. But I've been dreaming about having sex with Damon. I mean, I've had those kinds of dreams before, but they've never been this real.

It started out simple: I would think about what could have happened if he hadn't turned me down _That Night_. And then it sort of goes from there.

And now, it's other places and other times… Like, the other night, I dreamt that we were on a plane, and I got up to go to the bathroom, and he just followed me in, and… Well, my alarm clock woke me up before we… Anyways…

It's just taking over my life… It's all I can think about, all I can dream about… And I don't know what to do about it!

* * *

Alaric's life was a little boring right now. Jenna had noticed Elena's rapid mood changes, and was trying to spend more time at home; Damon had skipped town with nothing more than a text message; Elena's protection was all but assured by this 'Elijah' character. And so, Ric was relegated to the life of a simple history teacher.

But that could have its entertaining moments.

"Elena, could you please bring this sheet to the front office?" A moment passed, but when Elena didn't give any indication that she'd heard him, every head in the class turned to her. "Elena?" he tried again.

Stefan reached over and tapped her on the shoulder, and she blinked, her eyes refocusing.

"Yeah, sorry," she said in a strained voice, her face reddening.

"Could you bring this sheet to the front office?" Alaric repeated slowly.

She nodded quickly, collected her things, and grabbed the sheet out of his hands without making eye contact with him. Then she was gone amidst a quiet tide of giggles.

* * *

_Damon was driving Elena back home from school. He had been giving her sideways glances for some time, and she felt them. She could feel him undressing her with his eyes, and she'd be damned if she wasn't doing the same to him. _

_Without a word, he turned off from the regular route, taking a short street that led to a much longer road through the forest. The second they had passed the last house, Elena's had her seatbelt unbuckled and was sliding along to front seat to press herself into Damon's side. He held the steering wheel with his left hand, his right arm wrapped tightly around Elena's shoulder and she left wet, open-mouthed kisses from his jaw to his collar. As she nipped at the sensitive skin there, her right hand was busy undoing his pants. _

_Once she got the zipper down, she slid a hand past the waistband, and realized that he wasn't wearing anything underneath his jeans. She smirked into his neck._

"_Didn't your mother ever tell you to wear clean underwear?" she said, her voice muffled by her current activities._

"_Are you complaining?" he asked in a hoarse voice._

_She didn't answer, choosing instead to wrap her hand around his shaft and start pumping slowly. He let out a moan and she sped up a little. His hand squeezed her shoulder as he hardened in her palm, and with little manoeuvring, she had freed him of his denim confines. Without hesitation, she slid down the seat and took him into her mouth._

"_Oh God Elena!" he exclaimed, his hand fisting her hair, "Oh God I –"_

A tap on her shoulder pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She could feel herself blushing as the class giggled quietly.

"Could you bring this sheet to the front office?" Alaric was staring at her questioningly.

Without a word, she nodded, grabbed her stuff and bolted, plucking the sheet from the teacher's hand and all but running from the classroom.

Once outside, she went straight for the bathroom and examined her reflection. She was bright red and beads of sweat had pooled along her hairline. She turned on the tap and splashed some water onto her face, trying to cool herself down. Once she had finished with that, she leaned against the wall, and exhaled slowly.

"Holy crap."

* * *

Over the course of her life, Katherine Pierce had done a lot of foolish things. She knew it, even if she would never admit to it. But none of those things had ever left her feeling as stupid as she felt now. Stefan had warned her a few days before that he would be busy over during the week, between Elena (she rolled her eyes), Caroline (she rolled her eyes again), and the new werewolf threat. But Katherine had been making a solid effort to prove to him that she loved him. She had spent countless hours with her nose buried in boring grimoires, searching for a clue to defeat Klaus. There were hints, whispers in ink hidden in the pages, but nothing concrete yet.

So she had tired of her fruitless search. She would go back to it, but for now, she was distracted by thoughts of Stefan; thoughts of their past, their present, and (dare she say it?) future.

She had gone a hundred and forty five years without paying him more than a daily melancholic thought. But now that she had him again, she couldn't think of anything else. She strained her ears for the sound of his voice; her skin tingled at the thought of his touch; and she dreamt of him. Oh, how she dreamt of him!

Sometimes, she dreamt of him as he had been; much the same as he was now, but less jaded. She dreamt of the sweet things that he said, and the way he held his brother in such high esteem. She dreamt of the times he had sweetly made love to her, a style of desire that she still was not very familiar with. But now… Now she craved it.

Since they had fallen back into each other, their sexual interactions had always been desperate and aggressive. Not that she was complaining; her boy had become quite dominant, and she secretly loved it. But she also wondered if she had damaged him so brutally that she killed that sensitive and thoughtful, loving boy she had first met. Because now… Now she craved him.

And all of these thoughts collided together in her mind; because today was the day.

Today was the day that Stefan said he might be able to visit.

And this was why she felt stupid. She had spent all day planning for Stefan's arrival, which already seemed extremely weak to her. The strong possibility that he wouldn't even show up just made the whole thing so much more embarrassing, even if she was the only one who knew about it.

She had tidied up the tomb (lame), spray-showered (inconvenient), searched through the duffel bag of clothes to find _something_ to wear for the occasion ("Occasion? Really?"), and now sat at the seal, waiting.

She picked idly at the hem of the pink dress that she was wearing. She wondered carelessly if this had belonged to Elena. Although the newest doppelganger had probably worn the dress as a shirt, given its length, or lack thereof.

"Hello?" Stefan's voice floated down from the top of the stairs.

Katherine scrambled to her feet and dusted herself off before leaning casually against a wall, making it look like she hadn't been waiting for him to arrive.

"Hey," she smirked at him. She had attempted some sort of sweet smile, but unfortunately her muscle memory just wouldn't allow for that.

"How are you?" he asked, watching the stairs as he skipped down them.

When he finally looked at her, his eyes widened a little, and he stopped in his tracks. He looked her up and down, taking in loose yet form-fitting length of dress and the eternity of leg that jutted out from the skirt. Katherine noted his reaction with satisfaction.

"I'm fine," she murmured, leaning against the wall again and crossing one leg. "I missed you," she added awkwardly.

By now, he had crossed the seal tentatively, walking towards her, but she moved away.

"Do you love me?" she asked him quietly.

He let out a long breath. "We've talked about this…"

"Yes, and then we had sex. Plus, we all know that you were lying. Have you realized yet that you love me?"

"I –" he began, "I don't know, Katherine."

At that answer, she closed the gap between them with a few slow steps. "You used to know. A long time ago, you knew without a doubt that you loved me, and that you were willing to spend eternity with me."

"You left me," he answered harshly.

"I came back for you," she whispered.

They stood silently together for a long moment; not a foot of distance between them, but they felt miles away from each other. Then, Katherine spoke again.

"Make love to me?" Stefan frowned at her, confused. "Or, at least… You have no problem fucking me. So do that: Fuck me like you love me."

Without any more hesitation, he stepped forward, placed his hands on her hips, and kissed her softly. She kissed him back, a little unsure, wrapping her arms around his neck. He moved his hands down and lifted her up, and she obliged, wrapping her legs around his waist.

He walked her further into the tomb, and then let her down, her back pressed up against the wall. They remained there, their kisses becoming more and more passionate, hands moving and touching. Katherine pulled off Stefan's shirt, and he kissed down her throat and along her collarbone. Once she moved her hands to unbutton his jeans, he pulled away momentarily, chuckling softly and meeting her eyes.

"I don't know exactly how I feel about you, Katherine. But I know that you still take my breath away. And seeing you in this dress," he knelt down, running his hands down her sides to her thighs, "Does something to me."

He pressed his lips to the inside of each thigh, working his way up to her core. He kissed her clit through her panties, and she gasped, grabbing his hair and holding his head in place. He teased her through the fabric, until…

"Stefan! Ah... Please… Please touch me."

With a grin, he peeled off her underwear and tossed them aside. Then, he ran his tongue along her slit, clamping his mouth down on her clit and slowly sliding one finger inside of her. She squirmed when he flicked his tongue, and arched as he thrust another finger inside, moving them in concert with his mouth. Before long, she was grabbing at the stone behind her, crying out with pleasure. Stefan quirked his fingers one last time, and she fell apart, sliding down the stone wall to sit in front of him.

Wordlessly, she grabbed Stefan and pulled him forward, kissing him hard. He slid one arm around her waist and moved her so she was lying on her back on the ground. Soon, Katherine had managed to undo his pants and shove them down, along with his boxers. As he slid a hand up her skirt to fondle her breast, she guided him into her and they moaned together.

"Stefan," she said in a hoarse voice. When their eyes met, she continued. "I love you."

He didn't answer, simply kissed her again and thrust. She cried out and arched her hips up to meet him. They moved together, slowly, going deeper and deeper each time, their eyes still locked. As they sped up, their breath grew ragged, and Katherine bit down hard in Stefan's throat. A moment later, he bit her, and they came together.

"Stefan?" Katherine breathed a few minutes later. Stefan rolled off of her and she curled into his side. "That was –" He cut her off with a soft kiss.

When they broke apart, he spoke. "Katherine, I-"

They both held their breath as they heard the sound of quick footsteps carrying someone towards them. By the time the figure appeared, Stefan had managed to pull up his pants, and the pair sat up together. Katherine smiled inwardly as Stefan's arm tightened protectively around her shoulder.

"Stefan, Katerina." It was Elijah, and he did not look impressed. Katherine glared as Stefan frowned. Without preamble, the Original continued. "Let me make myself clear, Stefan. I agreed to Elena's request to have you freed with the belief that you would offer her some sort of protection. However, if you are too distracted by what is currently in this tomb, I have no problem locking you back up."

"What do you mean, 'protection'? I thought you were –"

"On her way home from school, Elena was almost attacked."

"What?" Stefan and Katherine exclaimed at once.

"She is fine. In fact, she is not yet aware that the werewolves have targeted her. She and I will discuss it later. If Luca hadn't been walking by, I would hate to see what would have happened." He glanced around quickly, and his eyes fell on the grimoires. "At least you, Katerina, are making good use of your time. Stefan, please come here."

Mindlessly Stefan stood up and walked toward Elijah. When he was a step away, he blinked, confused about his obedience. Then the Original put his hands on the younger vampire's shoulders and stared into his eyes.

"You will leave the tomb now. You will not visit Katerina again unless I tell you otherwise. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Stefan murmured. He blinked, and walked away, without so much as glancing back.

Katherine had watched the whole seen play out with a horrified expression. She stood up at threw herself at Elijah.

"Why did you do that? Isn't it bad enough that I'm stuck down here?" She punctuated each word with a fist to his chest.

He caught her hands easily and held her still. "Stefan is more useful above than below, and vice versa for yourself. This is not a punishment, Katerina, although it is poetic. No, this is practical. You are no longer the priority." He threw her away from himself, but she caught her balance and glared. "Deal with it."

Katherine's scream of anger echoed through the tomb long after Elijah had left.


	11. Trust

**A/N: For the record, this chapter was a complete accident, but then other characters kept sneaking in, and it went from part of the next chapter, to a little teeny 500 word chapter, to 2805. WTF man?**

**And, just because I don't wanna post spoilers... Anyone who watched the finale, please PM me with your thoughts! I'm dying to discuss with someone!**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_Here we go again; I kinda wanna be more than friends so take it easy on me. I'm afraid you're never satisfied._  
_Here we go again; We're sick like animals, we play pretend. You're just a cannibal, and I'm afraid I won't get out alive…  
I won't sleep tonight_

_- Animals by Neon Trees_

* * *

Elena and Caroline were playing pool at The Grill when the brunette's phone rang. Caroline rolled her eyes as Elena leapt for her purse and yanked out the phone with almost superhuman speed.

"Hello?" she said breathlessly. She waved Caroline off as the blonde when to grab some more drinks.

"_Hello beautiful,_" Elena smiled. "_How was your day?_"

"Oh, nothing terribly exciting. Almost got attacked by a werewolf, but that's just par for the course in my life."

There was silence, then a growl. "_And who the hell tried that stunt?_"

"Relax. I'm fine. Luca was there, and he took care of it, apparently. I didn't even notice until Elijah came by later on to let me know. That's why I'm out with Caroline right now. Public place, vampire bodyguard… What the hell is he doing here?" She had just spotted Stefan walking through the door.

"_Who now?_"

"Stefan. He doesn't usually come out in public anymore except to go to school." She watched attentively as Caroline marched over to Stefan, and then his head swivelled around and he moved towards Elena through the crowd.

"Elena," he began when he'd reached her, "Are you okay?"

"Uh… Yeah."

"_Tell him to fuck off!_"

Elena smiled. "I have."

"I'm sorry that you were left unprotected."

"I'm fine, Stefan. And besides, you had more important things to worry about. Like getting Katherine off."

Damon cheered over the phone. "_That's my girl!_"

"I wasn't…!" Elena arched a brow, and Stefan caved. "Okay, so maybe I was, but…"

"Don't worry about it Stefan. I'm fine, and you're off the hook. So why don't you run back to the tomb, and –"

"I can't. Elijah won't let me."

It was quiet for a moment before Elena and Damon laughed.

"_I think I might be starting to like this guy!_" Stefan scowled at the phone.

"Why did he say that he kicked you out?" Elena asked after recovering from her fit of giggles.

"Because I was too distracted by Katherine to protect you."

"_A valid point. Although I'd much rather he be off with Katherine than harassing you._"

Stefan grabbed the phone. "Y'know what Damon –"

"Whoa!" Elena plucked the phone back and held it up. "Stefan, thank you for your concern, and I'm sorry that Elijah's forbidden you from seeing Katherine, but there isn't anything that I can do about that. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

She walked away, towards the exit, idly noticing Caroline following her.

"_Is he gone?_"

"I am." Elena sighed. "So where are you now? When are you getting back?"

"_I don't know when I'm getting back, but I'm in Alaska right now._" A pause and then, "_I can't wait to see you._"

Elena stopped walking and blinked. Had she imagined it, or had Damon actually sounded nervous. She coughed awkwardly.

"Oh, okay. Well, I have to go now; Caroline's giving me a ride home. Bye."

And she hung up before he had the chance to say anything.

"That was abrupt," Caroline commented. Elena did nothing but shrug, so she continued. "You told me that you needed to talk to me about something, but you've been putting it off all night. What's up?"

The brunette sighed and stared out the window as the car began to move. "I've been thinking about Damon a lot."

"Yeah, I noticed. So what's wrong with that?"

"Well," she played with her hands, "It's getting… distracting."

"Distracting, how?"

"It all started with these dreams…" And she told Caroline about the whole ordeal, in minor detail.

"Oh, Elena, that's easy," Caroline said when the other girl had finished speaking, "You just have to have sex with him."

"What?"

"Yeah. You're spending all this time imagining it. Just get it done."

Elena didn't know what to say for a few moments. "And what do you suggest I do? Fly to Alaska and track him down?"

Caroline shrugged. "Sure. I can put it on my Dad's credit card, and we'll tell everyone that you went with me to visit him. I'll go with you to keep you protected. All set. We can go this weekend."

"Okay," Elena responded slowly, "But I really doubt that Damon will agree to it."

"So surprise him. Get a witch to do a spell to find him, and voila!"

Elena turned back to stare out the window. Bonnie didn't exactly approve of Damon in any sense. Getting a witch was going to be easier said than done.

* * *

The problem sorted itself out by the morning. Elena woke up before dawn to a crawling feeling up her spine. She sat up and scanned the room, but seeing nothing, she turned on the lamp. The light revealed Elijah's seated form in the corner, and she stifled a scream.

"Good morning Elena."

She covered her heart and tried to slow her breathing. "What are you doing here? I almost had a heart attack!"

He chuckled. "Since the incident yesterday, I have decided to leave nothing to chance." He didn't seem too keen to elaborate, and Elena didn't push, so he changed the subject. "It's very early still. You can go back to sleep."

She shook her head. "I can't sleep."

Elijah cocked an eyebrow. "Something on your mind?"

Elena smiled a little and fell back into the pillows. "Nothing you would care to hear."

He leaned forward, placing his forearms on his knees. "Try me."

She mimicked his position. "Why do you care so much? I mean, I get it; I'm the doppelganger, a valuable commodity. But why are you being so… cool?"

He let out a smooth laugh. "It is a refreshing change to care about the minor details of another's existence. Please, indulge me in this. What's on your mind?"

She gave him one last 'are you serious?' look, and then blew out a long breath. "I want to visit a friend out of town, but I want it to be a surprise. I have a general idea of where he is, but I was hoping to get Bonnie's help to track him down. Unfortunately, Bonnie doesn't like him too much, so I'm stuck. Plus, no one will let me out of their sight anymore, so I would have to figure out a way to sneak off."

Elijah simply nodded. "So Damon Salvatore is away, doing something that you don't want me to know about, and you want to visit him, but Bonnie hates him?"

"Pretty much."

"Will you tell me what he's up to?"

Elena shook her head. "It isn't anything that you should worry about, but the fewer people who know, the better."

He stared at her for a long moment, and Elena was worried that he could read her mind. But then he blinked, and looked out the window. "By sharing this with me, you have shown that you trust me. I will return the favour. I will help you find Damon, provided you agree to bring a chaperone with you."

A smile broke out across Elena's face, and her heart leapt. "Really?" He nodded. "Caroline already said that she would come with me, and she got all excited about a disguise of some kind, and…"

"Caroline will do nicely for the occasion. I need to know when you plan to leave, and when you'll be back."

She nodded quickly. "Yeah, for sure. As soon as we get it figured out." She stopped for a moment, and seemed to be vibrating with excitement. Then she leapt off the bed and barrelled into Elijah. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Alright," he peeled the teenager off of himself, "Now, one more thing: We'll need something that belongs to him."

* * *

Elena pulled up in front of the boarding house as dawn broke, and sat in her car for a while, psyching herself up. As soon as she and Elijah had finished their conversation, she had rushed through her morning routine, and left the house quietly in search of something that belonged to Damon. But she was a little nervous about entering the house, weary of her recent interactions with Stefan.

Finally, she got out of the car and walked into the mansion, tiptoeing through the foyer and glancing around, searching for any sign that Stefan was in the house. She got to the stairs, and promptly stopped. A problem had presented itself.

"Could you at least make some noise when you let yourself in?"

Elena spun around and saw Stefan behind her, stake in hand.

"Were you going to stake me?"

"You snuck in." He tossed the stake to the side. "Don't sneak up on vampires."

"Right," she nodded, and they stood in awkward silence for a moment. "So, um… Which room is Damon's?"

"Why?" Stefan asked, bemused.

"I need to grab something, but I don't know which room is his."

Stefan smiled a little. "You aren't thieving, are you?"

She covered her heart with her hand, mock-offended. "How dare you, Stefan Salvatore. I resent that accusation."

He just rolled his eyes and led her up the stairs to his brother's room. Once they were there, she walked in carefully, feeling more than a little uncomfortable at being here without him. His room was simple and neat, everything where it was supposed to be. The king-sized bed in the middle of the room, with a multitude of black-covered pillows, mesmerized her, in an innocent way. She fought the mad urge to jump on it.

"So, what are you looking for?" Stefan's voice made her jump; she had forgotten that he was there.

"Um… I'm not sure." She walked in a little further, examining the shelves now coated in a thin layer of dust. "Something that belongs to him."

"That's a little weird."

She turned around to face him. "Shut up and help me pick something out."

They searched in silence for a few minutes, before Stefan called out to her.

"Here." He handed her a handkerchief.

"Really?"

"Look," he said, pointing out the embroidered letters 'DS' around the edge. "Mother got us each a set when we were really young. He tends to throw out anything once it gets old, so this is probably the thing that most belongs to him."

"Wow," Elena breathed, running a finger over the initials. "Thanks."

She looked up at him, and noticed how close they were standing. They were less than three inches apart, sharing a moment. It was a milestone, as tiny as it was. In that instant, they let go of their past, the anger and resentment, and embraced what they had now become: Friends. And then they took a breath, stepped back, and the moment was gone.

"I'll get out of your hair now," Elena said, smiling.

"Yeah," Stefan answered, "See you at school."

"See you at school."

* * *

Elena was humming as she drove to her next location. It was still early, but she wasn't the least bit tired. She was on a roll. And she had discovered something already that day that had rocked her to the core, even though she had only been awake for a few hours. She had power. And that power was something innate, something that she had always had, but had never recognized. She could trust. And she could garner others trust in return.

When she arrived at her destination, she hopped out of her car without hesitation and took the stairs quickly. When she got to the bottom, she called out for the person that she was looking for.

"Katherine!"

Her voice didn't tremble, and she wasn't angry. She felt confident and strong. She felt like the vampire she had come to see was her equal, which was new.

When the woman in question appeared, she scowled.

"What do you want?"

"I'm here to talk to you."

Katherine laughed bitterly. "Well talk away then, sweetie. It's not like I can do anything but listen."

"I'm sorry." The vampire scoffed, leaning against the wall casually. "I'm sorry about Elijah. He's really taking this whole 'protection' thing seriously. I don't think he's used to it."

"Whatever."

"And either way, welcome to the club. Stefan got taken away from you, and you sent Damon on this stupid wild goose chase."

As soon as Elena said it, she saw the gears turning in Katherine's head.

"So you finally figured that out, huh? Good for you. I was wondering when you'd finally hook up…"

"Yeah, not quite."

The other woman huffed out a laugh. "Why not? Damon really isn't one to wait around."

Well, that touched a nerve. Elena was already nervous enough about this 'trip' that she had planned. But Katherine had voiced something that the young woman had been worried about since Damon had left. She'd turned him away once; what if he didn't want her anymore? She shook her head, trying to erase the thought. "Because you sent him away."

"Aw, so he bailed on you. I guess even I overestimated the power of his _love_."

"Look, you don't have to be rude, okay? You got what you wanted; you got Stefan! Why can't you just suck it up?"

"I'M TRAPPED IN A TOMB, ELENA!"

"AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?" Elena took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Look, Stefan and I are okay now, and, I figure, it wouldn't be a big deal if I try talking to Elijah…"

Elena was satisfied when Katherine looked surprised. "Why would you do that? Aren't you afraid that I'll poison your precious Stefan?"

"He's a big boy. He loves you, and we all know it. But he has a very strong conscience, and he wouldn't do anything against what he thinks is right, not even for you."

The vampire thought about that. "Okay, I'll bite. You'll talk to Elijah, but what do you want in return."

Elena smiled. "Trust for trust. I need you to do something for me."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Trust, huh? I noticed that you haven't crossed the seal."

"Yeah, right. I'm willing to work with you, but I'm not stupid."

"I can't do anything for you down here."

"Seriously?" Elena started walking forward. "Katherine, you are the most powerful person I know." The vampire preened, and the human continued. "Your survival instinct is stronger than anything I've ever seen, and it makes you able to do anything. So I'm asking you, in exchange for me trying to convince Elijah to loosen Stefan's limitations, please, don't tell anyone what Damon's up to."

At the very least, that seemed to stump Katherine. "Who would I tell?"

"People know that you're down here." The two were face to face now. "And the fewer people know about this, the better."

Katherine's eyes widened with realization. "Elijah."

"He doesn't need to know. It poses no threat or gain to him."

"But it could."

Elena narrowed her eyes. "I will ensure that it won't."

They remained locked in a stare for some time before Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Fine, of course. They'll all listen to you, because they all love you. Stefan, Damon, Elijah…"

"Well, everyone loved you once, and you ruined it all on your own, so stop taking it out on me."

"Wow Elena. When did you grow a pair?"

She laughed. "Do we have a deal or not?" She stuck her hand out, across the seal and waited.

Katherine reached out a tentative hand, and they shook, mirror images.

"Good." Elena smiled and turned to leave. "You know," she turned around again, "You could have friends, Katherine. You just have to trust people."

The vampire shifted uncomfortably. "I have friends," she insisted.

"No," Elena turned around and started to walk away, "You have people who owe you. There's a difference."


	12. Feel You

**A/N: I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter. There are quite a few different factors that are really weirding me out. Like the fact that what happens next was only supposed to take the end of one chapter, then a full chapter, then the beginning of another… Including this chapter, I'm at four full chapters detailing this next event, and another half to full chapter to go, which is getting exhausting. Although I guarantee that you'll all love it!**

**The other factor is that I've (finally) gotten around to reading The Vampire Diaries The Return: Midnight, so I've reread the books to prep for it. I just finished Midnight about 10 minutes ago, and now I may not be able to write for a little while, 'cause the end just destroyed me. In a good way I guess, but I can't even… Woo… **

**And the original draft of this AN (yeah, I draft 'em sometimes…) was all about the finale. Thanks a whole lot to Tinkerbell90 and chase012 for PM-ing me about it. Similar request: If anyone reads the books, and has read Midnight, let me know! There's a whole bunch of behind-the-scenes drama going on about the books, so it would be neat to talk to someone about it.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_I wanna feel your moonlight turn to sun; Wanna feel the morning come; Wanna feel the fire.  
I wanna feel your winter turn to spring; Wanna feel that summer rain; Wanna feel your fire._

_Fire by Sunloverz_

* * *

There were few people sitting in the diner this late at night: A trucker, dozing off into his cup of coffee; a blonde woman reading a days old newspaper; and a couple, a dark-haired man and woman, involved in an argument over what appeared to be a very large and very old pepper shaker.

"This seems really stupid," the man murmured to his companion.

"Well," she replied bitterly, snatching the jar back, "It's not." Her face lit up a little as she inspected the bottle, and when she spoke again, her tone had changed, like she had become a completely different person. "This is a huge breakthrough, Damon. This little jar completely proves so much of my research, okay? Research that dates back to the beginning of my career!"

Damon rolled his eyes. "Alright, simmer down Professor Isobel. I just don't put a lot of stock into superstition."

It was Isobel's turn to roll her eyes. "Well, Katherine confirmed it. And if anyone's an expert on how to defy Original's, it's her. And according to everything I've found out, white oak ash and some mystical dagger are pretty much our only hope."

"Right, and the easy part will be stabbing Klaus with it. 'Hey, Klaus, d'you mind holding still a second while we poke you in the heart with this weapon?'"

They stayed at the diner for a while afterward, discussing strategy, locations, and what they had left to do. The conversation was strained, as though the two didn't want to spend any time together, but were forced to by circumstances beyond their control.

Soon enough, Isobel stood up to leave. As she was passing Damon, she leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"Blonde woman behind you was watching us. Deal with it."

And with that, she was gone.

Damon sat back in his chair and sipped his coffee slowly. When he focused on it, he felt eyes drilling into the back of his head, and he cursed himself for not having noticed it sooner. Finally, he slid a twenty onto the table, and rose to leave.

Once outside, he blurred around the corner, waiting in the doorway of the next shop for the blonde. He didn't have to wait long. She had rushed after him as soon as she could, and he listened as she shut the door to the restaurant and hesitated on the sidewalk, unsure of where he had gone. He heard a shuffling sound, like she was pulling something out of her pocket, and then her footsteps moved in his direction.

As she passed him, he pounced, locking a hand around her throat, and slamming her into the wall of the building. He growled as her blue eyes went wide, and her hands scrambled to dislodge him. Then, he scanned her face, and dropped her like a hot potato.

"Elena?"

* * *

Damon and Elena sat facing each other, seated on separate hotel beds, Elena still wearing her wig and contacts. No one had said anything for over half an hour. Elena was waiting for Damon to speak, but he had been completely silent as he had thrown her into his car, dragged her to the hotel and shoved her into the room. They had been awkwardly staring at each other for almost ten minutes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked quietly.

"I came to see you."

He snorted. "Actually, I had figured that you were doing a walking tour of Alaska. No, why did you come to see me?"

"I –" Elena began, but she stopped short. She hadn't figured that she would feel quite this uncomfortable talking to him. "I missed you."

"We talk every day on the phone, Elena. Do you know how dangerous this is? What if someone recognized you?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid; Caroline and I worked out the disguise. And, to be fair, you didn't even recognize me. And Caroline's in town with me to make sure I'm safe. We told everyone that we were going to visit her dad. No one knows that I'm here, and if they do, then there's no stopping them anyways."

Damon stood up and put his hands on his hips. "No offense, but _Caroline_ isn't the best protection."

"Look," Elena said, sliding off her wig, "I didn't come all the way up here to argue. Can I take a shower?"

Wordlessly, Damon pointed toward the bathroom, and Elena sauntered away.

* * *

As soon as the door clicked shut, Damon started pacing. It was taking everything out of him to keep up this charade of being angry, when all he wanted to do was pull Elena into his arms and hold her. But he needed her to understand the danger that she had put herself in, for no apparent reason.

Adding to his agitation was the curiosity: Why had she come to see him? They spoke numerous times a day, until earlier this week. He had mentioned that he couldn't wait to see her, and nervously awaited a response. When she hung up without acknowledging the comment, he figured that he had overstepped. But now, she was here…

He tore open a bottle of bourbon and took a drink. He hated feeling off balance, and it bothered him that he was thrown off by a girl. He slammed the bottle down. He would get to the bottom of this. Without another instant of hesitation, he spun on his heel and opened the bathroom door. He was surprised to find that it was unlocked. He tiptoed in, and stood pensively against the counter for a moment before speaking.

"Elena?"

* * *

In the meantime, Elena had been in full panic mode from the second she had taken off the blue contact lenses and stepped into the shower.

_I was right. Katherine was right. He's over it. He doesn't want me anymore. God, what am I supposed to do now? I'm so stupid._

She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, forget everything but the hot spray of the water as it washed the day away from her. She began to imagine what it would be like if Damon was in there with her, but pushed that thought away. It would do no good to dwell on it, knowing that it wasn't going to happen.

"Elena?"

She froze, and her eyes snapped open. True, she hadn't bothered to lock the door. But she hadn't actually thought that Damon would barge in on her.

"Um… I'm in the shower, Damon."

_Clever, Elena_.

He chuckled a little. "I know. I just… You need to actually answer me: Why are you here?"

She sighed. He saw through her completely, and there was no way he would take another half-truth.

_Well, at least it'll all be out in the open._

"Hang on." She turned off the water, and then remembered that she'd left her backpack in the room proper. "Uh… Could you pass me a towel or something? I forgot to bring my stuff in…"

There was a rustling noise, and then Damon's hand appeared through the curtain, holding out a terry cloth robe. She rang out her hair, shrugged on the robe, and opened the curtain.

She had been prepared to tell him about the dreams and fantasies; what she hadn't been prepared for was how his gaze raked over her entire body, and made her redden significantly.

_Maybe there's hope after all…_

She coughed and stepped out of the tub, heading for the doorway as he followed her. "Why am I here?" she repeated. "Well, it's a little embarrassing."

She reclaimed her previous seat on the edge of what she now claimed as 'her' bed, and Damon sat across from her again.

"Just tell me, Elena. I'm worried about you, and if you're in trouble or something…"

Her eyes widened. "Oh no! I'm not in trouble. Well, maybe a little trouble with Ric because of that time in class, but…"

"What time in class? What are you talking about?"

She let out a long breath, and played with the robe. "I've been thinking about you. A lot." She looked up at him, but he didn't seem to understand the exact meaning of her words. "And it's been getting distracting."

"I've been distracting you from across the country?"

She looked down and laughed awkwardly. "Well, it's more the nature of… It started out with me wondering what it would have been like if you hadn't stopped me that night." Their eyes met again as it dawned on him what she meant. And he started to grin. "And then I started to imagine what it would be like, with you, in different places, and doing different things."

He started laughing a little, a low sound that made her shake with desire and indignance all at once.

She shot to her feet. "It isn't funny Damon! I think about it everywhere! I woke Jeremy up one night from screaming –" She stopped, mortified. "I completely spaced out in Ric's class and everyone noticed. Now he thinks that I'm losing my mind!"

He stood up slowly. "So you came here to seduce me?" He took a step closer to her, so they were a hair's width apart. "I don't think that's very funny at all."

His voice rocked through her, vibrating through her chest and making her knees weak. She was mesmerized by his eyes, and couldn't remember what she was talking about or what she should do next. Luckily, he sorted that out for her. Slowly, and still without touching her, he tipped his face forward and captured her lips.

* * *

It was soft at first: Neither of them wanted to do anything to spook the other. But when Elena's arms snaked around Damon's neck, the floodgates opened. He gripped her hips, hard, and pried her lips apart with his tongue to meet hers, his whole body tingling with the contact. Her fingers knit into his hair and pulled a little as she moaned. He almost couldn't stand it; he needed to be inside her now!

And then she spoke; a few words whispered so low that brought him back, and made him rethink his entire approach to this.

"So, you still want me?"


	13. Tonight

**A/N: I'm toying around with the idea of doing one of those 'Hey! This is what season 3 would look like if I were writing it!', but I'm not too sure. If anyone wants to weigh in on that, and sway me one way or the other, that would be great!**

**I had initially planned on doing this whole _thing_ within one chapter, with the full song 'Rhythm of Love' interspersed, but it just didn't work out that way. I looked at the word count and ended up splitting the whole thing up.**

**That being said, be prepared for a ludicrous amount of SMUT in the next three chapters.**

**Enjoy!**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_We may only have tonight; but till the morning sun, you're mine, all mine. Play the music low and sway to the rhythm of love._

_- Rhythm of Love by Plain White Tees_

* * *

Damon took a step back with a confused expression. "Of course I still want you, Elena. What the hell made you think that I didn't?"

A weight lifted off her shoulders at that, but she still tread carefully, wary of upsetting him again. "Well, you were so angry that I was here, and Katherine said –"

He took hold of her arms and looked right into her eyes. "Fuck Katherine. She'll say anything to throw you off. Just forget anything she told you, okay?" Elena nodded, and he loosened his grip, sliding his hands down to hold one hand.

"So," he began again, spinning her around so her back was pressed tightly to his front, "You've been dreaming about me?" His hands were on her hips, and his lips were right next to her ear, making her tremble with every word he spoke.

"Yes," she replied in a hoarse whisper. She suddenly became very aware that she was wearing nothing but a flimsy bathrobe.

He seemed to realize it at the same moment, because when he spoke again, his right hand was travelling across her midsection to loosen the knot holding the robe closed.

"Tell me about them."

She tipped her head back to rest on his shoulder when his hand slid between the folds of the robe to trace circles across her stomach.

"In one dream," she answered breathlessly, "We were leaving The Grill. I pulled you into the alley, and you backed me into the wall. You lifted me up so I could wrap my legs around your waist." She stopped when he started kissing down her throat.

"Keep going," he murmured into her skin.

"You took off my shirt, and then you teased me a little."

His hand was moving up slowly, his fingers now dancing across her ribs.

"How did I tease you?"

"You took off my shirt, but you wouldn't take off my bra. You kissed all around it, and I begged for just a little more…"

She gasped when he cupped a breast and ran his thumb over one of her nipples.

"Is this what you wanted?"

"Yes…"

She pressed back against him and felt his erection against her back. As he alternated between breasts, he continued to speak.

"Tell me more."

"In another dream, I was doing homework in the library. You came in and sat next to me, but you told me to concentrate on what I was doing. Then –" She groaned when his hand drifted downward again.

"Then?"

"I was wearing a skirt, and you put your hand on my thigh, and really slowly, you moved up and up until –" He was running a finger up and down the inside of her thighs.

"Until what?"

"Until you pushed my panties aside and you…" Without realizing it, she had grabbed his hand and guided him to where she needed him. When she moved his finger in circles around her clit, she arched, pressing her head into his shoulder and opening her mouth silently. "… Did that. And then…" She brought his hand further down and slid one of his fingers inside.

He growled. "Elena… Oh God… You're so…" He slid a second finger in, holding her tightly with his free hand on her hip, and thrust in and out of her. "And then what? Did I make you come?"

She held his hand still and then pulled him out of her completely and spun away.

"No… I woke up before I…" She felt completely ravaged already, and they hadn't even gotten to the good stuff yet. _God, how does he do this to me?_

"I think," he said slowly, advancing upon her until her knees hit the edge of the bed and she sat down, "That I can resolve that now."

He hadn't even finished his sentence before Elena's hands were working on his belt and jeans. He pulled off his t-shirt and watched as she slid his pants and boxers down to his feet. Then she leaned back, the robe opening carelessly, and took in the sight of him. She bit her lip.

"No wonder you're so cocky," she said, arching a brow in the direction of his erect member.

"Excellent choice of words," he answered.

She moved back to lean against the pillows as he crawled over her, and their lips met again. His hands explored her body beneath the robe, and she kissed down his jaw to his collarbone.

"God, Elena," he murmured, "How could anyone not want you?"

She simply smiled, and when his hands moved over her shoulders, she shrugged off the robe. He dragged his fingertips across her side and down to her hips, and then ran one hand over her breast and thumbed her nipple, making her throw her head back.

"How are you feeling?"

She couldn't speak for a moment, as caught up as she was in the pleasure he was already giving her.

"All wound up," she said breathlessly, and Damon let out a groan, "And a little nervous."

He was busy kissing her shoulder, but he responded all the same. "Why are you nervous?"

She cupped his face and drew him back up to meet her eyes. "I've been imagining it for so long, and I can't believe that we're finally here. Plus, as I mentioned, you are really big."

He kissed her hard. "Don't worry. I am about to rock your world."

They kissed again, and Elena smiled against his lips. She let the excitement take over, and she couldn't hold back the giggle that escaped her, making Damon laugh softly. She reached down, took him in hand, and guided him to her entrance.

She swore she heard him mutter, "Oh thank God!" and then he pushed into her.

She cried out from the feeling of being so completely filled, and held Damon's head close as he moved to pull away. She locked her legs around his waist, and pressed her lips to his ear.

"Please Damon…"

* * *

Everything in Damon's body felt like it was exploding all at once when she said those two words. He obliged, pulling back and thrusting all the way in again, setting a slow pace to start, choosing instead to focus on her face as he pleasured her. She had her head thrown back, her eyes closed and her mouth opened in a silent scream of bliss. Her back arched, and her chest pressed against him completely, allowing him full access to suck at the juncture of her shoulder and neck.

When she started moving her hips to meet his, he nipped lightly at her throat, and then moved up to capture her lips again. They kissed like they were drowning; desperate and passionate, moaning into each other's mouths, until Elena breathed out an incoherent stream of words.

"Faster… Please Damon… Oh God… Faster!"

He obeyed, thrusting faster and harder as she continued to beg him in a low voice. That alone was sending him to the edge of the abyss, but he refused to topple over until she came. He snuck a hand between them and gently pressed against her clit. She sat up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and digging her nails into his back.

"Elena…"

She was making whimpering sounds in the back of her throat, pushing him to speed up. Then, she bit down on his shoulder, trying to stifle the screams escaping her. Damon could feel himself on the verge: black spots appeared in front of his eyes, followed by bright explosions of colour. He kissed down her shoulder, trying to touch every inch of her skin, wanting to worship her body. As he started losing control, he bit her with blunt teeth, but she only held him tighter for a moment before releasing him, throwing herself back down into the pillows and grabbing at the sheets, crying out louder and louder as she neared her climax.

"Damon! Damon, I'm so close…"

And with a final frantic kiss, Elena came, clenching her walls around him as he continued to thrust into her. He watched her face contort with ecstasy before, with a hard thrust, he exploded inside of her.

They were still moving slowly against each other, breathing heavily as they came down from their high. Damon was trying not to collapse onto the fragile and beautiful human beneath him, but with a sigh of loss, she pushed him off of her, and curled into his side.

"Good?" he huffed.

"I can't… Oh my… I just can't… Oh Damon!"

He chuckled and kissed her still damp chestnut curls. "Did it meet your expectations?"

She heaved herself up on one arm and pressed her forehead to his. "It just shattered and destroyed all of my expectations. I don't know how I'll ever be able to leave this bed."

That sobered him up a little. "When do you have to go?"

She cuddled back up to him, placing her head on his chest and drawing patterns across his abs. "Not until Sunday afternoon. We have a whole… I don't even know anymore… I guess about thirty six hours."

"Okay," he whispered, "Then go to sleep."

"Nuh uh. Sleep is for the weak. I don't want to –" She cut herself off with a yawn.

"You need to rest. And," he lowered his voice so the vibrations ran through her, "I promise that the morning sex will be even better."

She laughed softly, and then her breathing levelled and she was asleep.

* * *

At a sinfully early hour of the morning, Damon felt Elena shift and try to get out of the bed. Without opening his eyes, he locked his arms around her and tugged her against him.

"Where do you think you're going?" he mumbled sleepily.

"I have to use the bathroom, and find my phone."

"Who do you have to call? I'm lying right here."

She turned her head to kiss him, and slithered out of his embrace. He opened his eyes to see her walking (or, rather, limping), completely naked, in the direction of the bathroom. He caught up to her, and wrapped an arm around her waist, supporting her.

"Who the hell do you have to call at… four in the morning?" he grumbled.

"Caroline's probably worried," she called from the other room. She paused. "Yeah, I missed a bunch of her calls. She's probably out hunting me down. Oh, that's weird."

"What?" Damon had gotten out of bed, grabbing the robe and following Elena.

"A missed call from Stefan. What the hell could he want?" She smiled as she felt the robe being draped over her shoulders.

"Does it matter?" He placed soft kisses along her neck, taking stock (with pride) of the marks that he'd left behind, and she sighed.

"Not at all. Just let me text Caroline, and pee, and I'll come straight back, okay? I'll even do both at once."

He spun her around, and pulled her hand up to kiss her knuckles. "You are the epitome of class."

She laughed, and shoved him back a little. "Get back to bed where you belong, sir."

He smirked at her pointedly. "Are you sure you'll be able to walk back on your own?"

"Hey! It's your fault. Now get the hell out so I can pee."

* * *

A few hours later, but still entirely too early, Damon's phone was vibrating on the nightstand.

"Kill. Your. Phone," Elena murmured into a pillow, "Before I kill it for you."

Damon sat up, and reached over her to grab the handset off the nightstand. He answered it without checking the screen, and was surprised to hear his brother's voice.

"Hello."

"_Hey, Damon. Have you heard from Elena lately?_"

At this point, Elena had pulled the covers up over her head, and was currently kissing her way down Damon's midsection.

"I sure have heard from her recently."

"_Do you know where she is?_"

He closed his eyes and leaned back, stomach tightening in anticipation as Elena descended further along his body. "Well, she said that she was going to Caroline's dad's or something, right?"

"_Yeah, but she isn't answering her phone, and it's sort of important. There was an attack._"

Damon knew he should care. There was a part of him screaming to care about what Stefan was saying. But there was a much stronger part of him (located somewhere a little further south than his brain) that was a little too preoccupied for anything more than faking his way through this conversation.

"An attack you say? What kind of attack?"

"_Werewolves. They raided the boarding house, and grabbed me, trying to find Elena. Elijah and the Martins showed up with Bonnie, and everyone's fine, but they were looking to turn her over to Klaus. I'm just worried that they tracked her down. When did you talk to her? Are you sure she's alive?_"

"Hang on." With a great effort, Damon opened his eyes and peeked underneath the covers, meeting Elena's eyes. He grabbed her wrist and felt around for her pulse. "Yes Stefan. I am absolutely positive that she's alive."

The last thing that Damon saw when he dropped the sheet was Elena grinning mischievously, and the next thing that he knew, she had her mouth wrapped around his cock and he let out a moan, right into the phone.

"_Damon? Are you still there? Are you okay?_"

"I, um…" He fisted Elena's hair under the blanket, holding her in place as pleasure shot up his spine, clouding his brain. "I'm hanging up now Stefan. It was nice seeing you. Have fun with…" And then he dropped the phone onto the bed, slamming the screen with his palm hoping that it disconnected the call, but not really caring too much.

"Elena… What are you -?"

She paused in her ministrations to answer his unfinished question. "Next time, don't answer the call. You're wasting precious time that could be spent focusing on this…" She took his entire length into her mouth, and he exhaled loudly.

"Got it. No more phone calls. Lesson learned."


	14. Rhythm of Love

**A/N: I had planned on waiting another day before posting this one, but then something funny happened, and my roommate made me promise not to tell anyone. I figure that, since this is all pretty anonymous, I'm safe sharing it here, because it's entirely too entertaining to keep quiet.**

WEDNESDAY: 3PM

SweetWillowTree: _*comes home early from work and enters apartment, noticing two pairs of men's shoes*_  
Wall: _*THUMP*_  
SWT: Hello? Roommate? Are you here? Did you get new shoes?  
Wall: _*THUMP*_  
Mystery Voice: shit…  
SWT: Roooooommmaaaaate…  
Roommate: _*from the locked bathroom*_ Yeah? SWT? I thought you were working?  
SWT: I was. I'm home early. Who's here?  
Roommate: No one.  
SWT: Whose shoes are those?  
Roommate: Oh, they're mumblemumblemumble…  
SWT: _*trying very hard not to combust with laughter*_ What?  
Roommate: _*emerges from bathroom, soaking wet*_ Yeah, hey, just showering… Because of work. Where I will be going now.  
SWT: Whose shoes are those?  
Roommate: Oh… They're… Uh… His… _*points at bathroom door*_  
SWT: And he is?  
Roommate: He was helping me shave patterns into my beard. _*shows off completely scruffy and unshaven beard*_  
Mystery Man: _*emerges from bathroom, also soaking wet*_ Uh…_ *waves*_  
Atmosphere: SILENT  
Roommate: SWT, do you have a cigarette now for me now please now?  
SWT: _*combusts*_

**Anyways, that's my very longwinded account of the whole affair. Also, I am posting the first part of a songfic request that I received, based on the song 'Jar of Hearts' by Christina Perri, so check it out if you have time. I'm a little shaky on it, but I think it's pretty neat.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_My head is stuck in the clouds; She begs me to come down, says, "Boy, quit foolin' around."  
I told her, "I love the view from up here; Warm sun and wind in my ear. We'll watch the world from above, as it turns to the rhythm of love."_

_- Rhythm of Love by Plain White Tees_

* * *

After Stefan's phone call (and Damon 'finished' his lesson), the couple had dozed off again, curled together back to front.

At about 10 o'clock, Elena woke slowly, prompted into consciousness by the feel of Damon's lips lazily pressing against her back.

"Mmmm… 'Morning." She reached back and drew Damon's arm across her body, playing with his hand.

"How are you feeling?" he murmured.

"Very good," she replied sleepily.

"Will you be able to walk today?"

She elbowed him lightly. "Will I have to?"

Suddenly, she was on her back, Damon looming over her, his stiffness pressing against her hipbone. She giggled as he spoke.

"I have no intention of letting you leave this room, both for your safety, and for my own purposes." He leaned in to kiss her, and she pressed herself flush against him.

Just as his free hand was moving south, Elena's phone rang. Damon growled against her mouth.

"Wasn't there a phone rule?"

"What if it's Caroline?" she said sheepishly.

Damon pulled back and arched an eyebrow. "What if I don't move at all, and if you can reach the phone, then you can answer?"

With a bit of manoeuvring (which ended with Elena sideways underneath Damon, her head hanging off the edge of the bed), she was able to grab the phone. Sure enough, it was Caroline.

"Hey, Care… Sorry I didn't call last –"

"_Do you have any idea how worried I've been?_"

"What? I texted you last –Oh!" Damon was slowly running his hand between her legs, pushing them apart.

When she looked at him, he pressed a finger to his lips, and whispered, "Rules are rules," before dipping his head down to lay gentle kisses along the insides of her thighs.

"_Yes, you texted me. But if you had been kidnapped, whoever had gotten your phone could have done that!_"

"Seriously?"

"_Elena, your safety is top priority here. I can't take any chances._"

"Did Elijah – oh God! – talk to you or someth- Ah!" Damon had now taken to slowly running his tongue between her nether lips, from her entrance to her clit.

"_Yes, he did, and he made it very clear that if you're hurt, then I'm in big trouble. No excuses. Now, where are you? I want to make sure that you're okay._"

Elena was panting; her heart threatened to jump out of her chest, and her whole body felt like it was on fire from the magic that Damon's tongue was working. He had inserted two fingers inside of her and was moving them in time with his mouth, which was sucking on her clit.

"Caroline," she breathed out, trying to regulate her breathing and failing miserably, "This is not a good time."

"_What's wrong with you? Oh my God! You have been kidnapped! Is this some sort of code?_"

"CAROLINE!" She was partly screaming from exasperation, partly from the pleasure that was flowing through her body. Her fingers were knit into Damon's hair, and she pressed him closer to her as her thighs tightened around his head. She could feel him laughing, and if the vibrations hadn't felt so damn good, she probably would have tried to storm off. "Why did we decide to come here?"

"_So that you could – OH! Ohmigod I'm sorry! Okay! I'm hanging up now! Have fun! K! Bye!_"

Elena didn't even answer; she simply threw the phone onto the other bed, and then gripped the mattress as her stomach tightened. She frowned as she felt Damon slow down.

"Don't stop," she ordered him.

"But the phone call's done." He was grinning as he climbed back up her body, and Elena fought the urge to hit him. "How about this?" He rolled them over so that she was straddling him and she wasted no time in taking every inch of him into her.

As Damon groaned at the feeling, Elena whimpered, her already stimulated walls throbbing with desire. She ground her hips and fell forward, lazily kissing him. It was a strange sort of atmosphere; the room felt foggy, and they were so wrapped up in each other that they forgot about anything and anyone else.

Damon's hands gripped Elena's hips, and she smiled, moving to kiss his throat as her hair tickled his chest. When she pressed her forehead to his, he spoke.

"God, Elena you are perfect. Absolutely fucking perfect."

They kissed again, their heads still hanging off the side of the bed, adding a different sensation to their activities. Soon enough, Damon started guiding Elena from her hips and thrust upward as she slammed down onto him. The first time, she cried out; the second time, she arched up, digging her nails into Damon's chest and crying out again; the third time, she started screaming.

She tried to keep her eyes open, tried to hold Damon's gaze, but she couldn't. Every ounce of pleasure slammed into her like a truck, and as he drove deeper and deeper, she ground harder and harder. She fell forward, her lips against his ear.

"Are you close?" she whispered.

"So close," he answered gruffly.

"Ah!... I want you to come with me, Damon."

Like a flash, he rolled them over again, pounding into her once… Twice… On the third time, Elena's nails broke the skin on his back as her orgasm raced through her. She felt Damon stiffen and empty himself inside of her before collapsing. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held him there.

"Please…" she breathed.

"Please what?" he panted.

"Please don't leave me."

He kissed her. "Never."

* * *

When they had recovered somewhat, Elena sat up stiffly and stared wistfully at the door to the bathroom.

Damon kissed her shoulder. "What do you want?"

"Well," she fell back and pulled the sheet across their sweaty bodies, "I'm hungry, but I don't think I'll ever be able to walk again." She propped herself up on her elbow and stared at him. "Is that your master plan? Fuck me so hard I can't go anywhere."

"Language, Elena! And when have I ever been known to scheme to get into your pants? Except for Georgia, which, to be fair, I knew was a long shot."

Elena's eyebrows disappeared behind her hair. "Really?"

He brought up his thumb and forefinger, showing a small distance between the digits. "Just a little bit." He sat up. "Anyways, I think that you should call Caroline back and get her over here."

"What? Why?"

"Because," he stood and started backing toward the bathroom, "I think the cleaning staff should maybe change those sheets; you need food; I need to run out to get some stuff for you, and you can't be left alone." Once he had disappeared into the en-suite and had started the shower, he continued. "The restaurant downstairs is really good, and you won't have to walk very far. Or," he popped his head out, "I could always carry you down, but I can't guarantee that that won't involve me taking you up against a wall."

Elena smiled. "You're insatiable."

He disappeared again. "You act like you're surprised."

* * *

Caroline had leapt at the chance to babysit Elena while Damon stepped out. The two girls met in the hotel restaurant, and, true to form, Caroline started talking the second she sat down.

"Thank gawd that you called. I mean, I know that you probably didn't want to be disturbed from your 'activities'," she winked and continued, "But I was getting so bored in my hotel. Ugh."

Before Elena could speak, the waitress arrived to take their orders. Once she had left, Caroline leaned forward conspiratorially.

"That's a lot of food! Either you're running a marathon or you're… 'running a marathon'. How's it going?"

The brunette couldn't help but smile. "It's… amazing. Completely different from how I thought it would be. For starters, he was upset that I was even here."

Caroline almost choked on her water. "What? Why? Is he stupid? I would have thought that he would have had his way with you in the car, if he was patient."

Elena shook her head, sipping on her iced tea. "He was concerned for my safety, and didn't actually understand why I came all the way up here until I told him about the dreams."

Her friend reached over and brushed the long, brown hair off Elena's shoulders. "And I see from those marks that he reacted well to that revelation?"

"Oh my God! Can you see them? I tried to figure out how to cover them up, but…"

"Don't worry," Caroline patted the other girl's hand, "I was looking for them. Actually, I was just making sure that there weren't any _other_ marks."

Elena's eyes widened. "Oh, no. We just had sex… A couple of times… Oh, did you talk to Stefan?"

Caroline's lips tightened. "I've been dodging his calls. I hate lying to him and he'll get all huffy if he knows where we are."

"Well, I was a little distracted, but he called Damon earlier about some kind of attack. Everyone's fine, but we'll probably get an earful later."

"Distracted by what?" Caroline was grinning. "Did you two ever stop?"

"Actually, that one was all me. I figured that if I came all the way up here to see him, he shouldn't be wasting time on the phone. So, I got him off the phone. Which is why he returned to favour when you called. I set the precedent."

They spent a while talking and giggling until a familiar voice made Elena's face fall.

"Elena?"

"Isobel?"

* * *

When Damon got back to the hotel, he was grinning from ear to ear. He hummed as he waited for the elevator, and practically skipped down the hall, shopping bags in hand, towards his hotel room. He stopped in his tracks when he inhaled Isobel's scent.

"Goddammit!"

He blurred to the door and burst in to see Elena and Caroline sitting on the 'other' bed, while Isobel lectured them. He wasted no time in depositing the bags in the doorway, rushing over to the unwelcome guest, and shoving her into the wall.

"I thought that I made it very clear last time that you weren't supposed to come anywhere near where I'm staying."

"And I thought that you had better sense than to drag Elena halfway across the country just so you could, what, have a nice little honeymoon weekend?"

"Get out," he growled.

She stepped closer to him, narrowing her eyes. "You are putting us at risk."

"And you are on my last nerve. For the last time, get out that door, before I throw you out the same way I did last time."

They glared at each other for another moment before Isobel huffed and walked away, not even sparing a glance for the two girls on the bed. She was pulling her cell phone out as she shut the door.

"I'm sorry," Elena said to Damon when the three of them were alone.

"For what?" he asked her, rubbing his temples.

"She saw us downstairs and she got angry and dragged us up here…"

"Yeah, Damon," Caroline interrupted, pulling Elena's hair back, "Maybe next time you should watch where you put these. Seriously, Mommy Dearest was not impressed."

The older vampire knelt down in front of Elena and looked her straight in the eye. "Did she hurt you?"

Elena shook her head as Caroline chirped in. "Of course she didn't, I'm her badass bodyguard. I'll keep her safe with my life. I will not leave her side…" At this point, she noticed that the other two weren't even listening anymore, as involved as they were with each other. "Until right now. You guys have a nice day, and I'll meet you at the airport tomorrow, Elena." And without waiting for an answer, she was gone.

As soon as the door snapped shut, their lips met for a soft kiss. When they pulled back, Damon looked like he wanted to say something, but Elena cut him off.

"So, what'd you bring me?" She bounced up and down on the bed expectantly.

Damon laughed and fetched the bags from where he had dropped them. "Well, most importantly, I brought you junk food." He dumped out a grocery bag full of candy and chips. "Next, I picked up a couple of movies. I figured that maybe you could use a little break."

She tried to scowl at him, but couldn't wipe the grin off her face. "It isn't porn, is it?"

He dropped the last bag next to her, and then sat down behind her, kissing softly along the marks that he'd left. "Like I need outside encouragement to not keep my hands off you."

"Okay, so what's in this one?" He didn't answer, so she rifled through it. "Clothes?"

"Last night," he switched to the other side of her neck, "You were conveniently naked when I got to you. Tonight… I can't guarantee that I won't tear your clothes to shreds." When she reached the bottom of the bag and pulled out the black lace lingerie, she looked back at him, and he shrugged. "Torn to shreds, Elena. I picked something out that I would enjoy tearing."


	15. Questions & Answers

**A/N: Alright, the final full chapter about The Visit. Pretty much just SMUT with a little sweetness in between. And, a funny little reference if you catch it ;) If you do, review and let me know!**

**Also, shout out to Eighp, who has been reviewing most of my stuff since Make Me Wanna Die. Just wanna say that I really appreciate it!**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_When the moon is low, we can dance in slow motion. And all your tears will subside; All your tears will dry._

_Rhythm of Love by Plain White Tees_

* * *

It was still the afternoon when the hotel staff had brought up a DVD player. Once they had started a movie, Damon noticed that Elena couldn't sit still. She shifted a little in his arms, flattening out the floral print sundress that he had given to her, and looked up at his face. When he finally met her eyes, she spoke.

"Question?"

He sighed. "But I love 'Legally Blonde'! And that guy there looks just like Ric."

Elena smirked, but asked anyway. "How did you throw Isobel out the last time?"

Damon looked annoyed at the thought. "She kept appearing in my room, and after I threatened her once and she continued, I escorted from the room…"

"Well that doesn't sound too bad."

"… Through the window."

Her mouth formed an 'O' and she nodded. "Okay, one more. Why the movies?"

"Because, I wanted to do something normal with you. We have to shove all of this time into one little weekend, so I'm trying to cover as much as possible. And," he kissed her forehead, "I don't want you to think that all I want from you is sex." He waggled his eyebrows and Elena smiled, clearly placated by his unusual but entirely genuine vulnerability, and placed her head back on his chest.

But as soon as Damon said those words, he almost bit his tongue right off. It was everything he could do to not run his hands all over the warm body in his arms, and the fact that the dress only went to mid-thigh on her…

He shook his head, determined to at least finish the movie.

"My turn?" he asked. She looked up at him again, and he continued. "How did you find me?"

At that, she brightened, proud of her accomplishment. She leaned over, and plucked a handkerchief from her bag. His handkerchief.

"This is spelled to work out a map of whatever distance is between the holder and you, with a spot marking the holder and a spot marking you. All I did was follow the map."

He nodded, impressed, and examined the piece. His mind raced with long ignored memories attached to the handkerchief, and he ran his thumb gently over the monogram. Then he handed it back to her, and turned his eyes back to the screen. They watched for a few minutes, before Elena got antsy again. He pretended to ignore it, staying focused on the television, as she started kissing along his neck, jaw and shoulder. Registering his indifference, she grew bolder, climbing into his lap to continue her ministrations on his other side. When he still didn't react, she began to unbutton his shirt, and place kisses haphazardly across his chest. And when still that effort yielded no result, she sighed, rose, and went to the bathroom.

With a predatory grin, Damon got up, undid his belt and the fly of his jeans, and lounged against the wall next to the washroom door. As soon as the door opened, he pounced, plucking Elena off her feet. From some sort of instinct, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He took a few steps, pressing her against the wall and kissed her, hard, while reaching a hand up to tease her through her panties.

"I told you that I'd take you up against a wall."

She took a hand off his shoulder to grip the wrist that had disappeared beneath her skirt. "Then do it. Please just do it," she breathed.

And that was it. Within a heartbeat, he had torn off her panties and slid his jeans down, glad that he had forgone boxers that morning. Another heartbeat and he was buried to the hilt inside of her.

* * *

Elena could hardly process what was happening, but she didn't care very much at all. And, as sore as she still was from the past twenty four hours, she couldn't help herself. With one hand still braced on Damon's shoulder, she reached up to grip the light fixture on the wall. Using that support, she was able to move with him, meeting his thrusts with the downward motion of her hips, taking him deeper and making her see stars behind her eyes.

She couldn't hear herself, but she knew that she must be screaming with pleasure. Her entire body felt tight, ready to explode, and she tried to release some of that tension onto Damon himself. She dug her nails into the fabric of his shirt, bit and sucked on the skin of his neck, and pulled on his hair, all the while angling her hips to create different sensations every time. She knew he was getting close from the way he sped up, and when he hit a particularly sensitive spot, another cry jumped from her throat.

"Yes, Damon! Right there! Oh God…"

He didn't answer, simply buried his face in her neck and started mumbling incoherently. She took hold of the hand still holding her thigh and guided him to her clit, her hand covering his as he drew circles around it. Her climax was right around the corner, she could feel it as she tensed up, and when Damon came inside of her, she was done. She arched back, her head hitting the wall, but she didn't care. All that mattered was that Damon was still moving slowly inside of her, drawing out her pleasure. She was twitching uncontrollably with the force of it, and, to her embarrassment, she felt tears escaping from her eyes.

When he set her down, she was upright for a moment before her knees gave out. Thankfully, by then, he had speedily pulled his pants back up, and drew her back into his arms to carry her to the bed.

* * *

As the afternoon became evening, Elena dozed off and Damon curled himself protectively around her, wrapping an arm around her waist to cover her hand, and nuzzling into the back of her neck, content to breathe in the heady scent of her. He had been tense after their last coupling, but soon realized that Elena had no idea of exactly what he had mumbled into her skin. And he was perfectly glad to keep it that way.

She wasn't at a point where she needed to hear what he had incoherently admitted to her shoulder, nor was he ready to confess it (again). Their relationship was still rather ill-defined, and Damon knew that this was not the time to get into what it was they were doing. While he knew what he wanted from her (and it all boiled down to one word, that started with 'for' and ended with 'ever'), he was also aware that she wanted to take things at a normal pace. And although their situation had made it impossible for him to court her properly, he was satisfied to follow her lead.

Indeed, the weekend was clearly not the time to settle all of their issues; rather, it was a time for them go through those normal human relationship checkpoints that couldn't be done over the phone: seeing each other, enjoying each other's presence, enjoying meals and entertainment, and, of course, the varying levels of intimacy that they had already explored. And, for his part, Damon was more than happy to comply if Elena felt that it was necessary to continue to 'explore'.

Which she clearly did.

As she slowly began to wake, she wiggled her hips a little, creating friction against still denim-clad groin that was impossible for him to ignore. And from his vantage point behind her, he could see the muscles in her face form a grin at the reaction she had elicited.

"What time is it?" she murmured, threading her fingers through his and extending their arms.

"About ten," he answered in a low voice, enjoying her small shudder as the vibration of his voice washed over her skin.

"I'm sorry I slept so long." She trailed their joined hands along her partially covered thigh.

"Are you in the mood to make up for it, or would you like to sleep some more?"

She rolled over onto her back. Her eyes were darkened with lust, and she bit her bottom lip. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well," he shifted so that she was sitting between his legs, back to front. The skirt of her still-intact dress had ridden up dangerously high, but just enough to tease. "I have a feeling that your little dreams will probably continue, probably more often, when you go home. And I would _love_ to be able to help you with them…" He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "But I would like to see how you… help… yourself."

Elena's eyes widened and Damon saw small beads of sweat form on her brow. He grinned, a dangerous and irresistible glint in his eyes.

"So," he began, tracing feather-light patterns along her thighs, "After your fantasies, did you touch yourself?"

"Yes," she breathed, covering his hands with her own.

"Show me." She stiffened a little, and an attractive blush spread under her skin. "Tell me about another dream."

"I was at my house, doing dishes…"

"What were you wearing?"

"Just my pyjamas; shorts and a tank top."

"Mmm… Delightful."

"And all of the sudden you were there. I felt your arms around my waist," he shifted his arms accordingly, "And you kissed my shoulder." Again, he obeyed. "I had to grab the counter…" Her hands continued to trace along her thighs. "You didn't say anything; you just slid your hands up my shirt…" Her hands, seemingly of their own accord, moved under her skirt and slowly made their way up her midsection, "To my breasts, and you held them for a second. Then, you…" She stopped talking, her hands moving mysteriously under the fabric of the dress.

Damon tried, truly tried, to stay still. But when Elena let out a soft moan of delight, and the scent of her arousal wafted to him, he reached behind her to undo the zipper, allowing the already low neckline to loosen further so he could see what she was doing.

He was transfixed by the sight of her, alternating between kneading her breasts, and pinching and thumbing her pebbled nipples. Every time she touched the sensitive buds, she would make a quiet noise in her throat. And after what felt like an eternity to Damon, he noticed that she had crossed her legs tightly.

"What else?" he asked, his voice hoarse with desire.

Without another word, her hands slid down, but Damon moved his from inside the back of the dress to continue what she had been doing. He watched as she uncrossed her legs and bent her knees, inadvertently allowing the skirt to rise up just a little more, but not high enough. He watched in intervals as her hands disappeared and reappeared from beneath the skirt, teasing herself along the insides of her thighs. Then the motion stopped, and he watched her wrist bend and her body arch into him. He caught glimpses of one hand, as she moved her fingers in and out, the other hand undoubtedly stimulated her throbbing bundle of nerves.

Elena's body was covered in a sheen of sweat, and the quiet noise in her throat grew louder and harsher. Damon could feel himself harden, and he slid his hands out of her dress to undo his pants, desperate for some kind of relief. Then, frustrated with his inability to see exactly what was going on, he tore the skirt of the dress up the middle and pulled it up. He saw her hands clearly, the right coated in her own juices, and it made his mouth water at the memory of her taste. Unconsciously, he took her wrist and brought her hand up to his mouth, licking each of her fingers clean.

"Damon…" she whispered, "I'm not there yet…"

"I've seen enough," he answered gruffly. Without warning, he lifted and turned her around, settling her over his neglected cock, and hissing when she sank onto him.

She moved quickly, bouncing up and down. He watched her still concealed breasts as they bounced, and soon enough, he had torn the dress the rest of way to take each nipple into his mouth. Elena held his head in place, and he placed his hands on her hips to move her faster, harder, slamming her back down hard enough to make her scream each time. He was dimly aware that he was screaming now too, and he was momentarily concerned that they would receive a noise complaint.

_But_, he figured, _if we haven't gotten one yet…_

"Lean back," he ordered her. "Lay all the way back."

And she did. When she was lying flat on her back, hair splayed around her head on the mattress, he hauled himself up onto his knees, hooking her legs over his shoulders, and thrust into her, hands still holding her hips in place.

She covered her face with her hands. "Holy… Fuck…"

"Language," he growled. He gripped her hips tighter still and moved faster. "God, you're going to be bruised in the morning."

"I don't care, just… Ah!"

Damon smiled, and Elena reached over her head for the edge of the mattress. Her entire body twisted and stretched as he pushed her further.

"I'm so close Elena… You feel so good…"

His eyes followed her hand as it snaked its way to where their bodies met, and he watched as she rubbed her clit again.

"Just a little more Damon. I'm right there! Yesss…" She held the hissing sound as her walls suddenly tightened around him, pushing him over with her. He was frozen in ecstasy, still holding her hips impossibly tightly, as she bucked with the force of her orgasm.

Then he folded forward, still inside of her, to kiss along her ribs, the explosion of pleasure still circulating through his body. It was a long while before either of them could manage anything beyond twitching and kissing whatever piece of flesh they could make contact with. Eventually, Damon pulled out of her, and fell back into the pillows just as Elena crawled back up the mattress and under the covers.

"I don't know," she began, an arm thrown across his chest and a leg wrapped around one of his own, "How well you'll be able to do _that_ over the phone."

"You'd be surprised," he replied, although his eyes were already closed.

Soon, they were both asleep, clinging tightly to each other as though that could stop the sun from rising.

* * *

To Elena's surprise, she woke up first just as the first weak rays of sun peeked over the edge of the balcony.

She wrapped herself in one of Damon's discarded button-downs, and silently made her way outside to watch the sky. And when her vampire joined her, she couldn't say that she was disappointed to have her alone time cut short.

Without preamble, she leaned back into his embrace, and spoke in a seductive tone, "Do you want to hear how that dream ended?" Then she dropped into a whisper. "Because it's something I've never done before."

She felt his member twitch against her back, and she registered his nudity with satisfaction.

"How did it end?"

"Well…" She leaned forward, pressing her backside into his groin and bracing her hands on the railing. She tried to quell the excitement rushing through her veins. Ever since she'd dreamt it, she'd been dying to try it with him. "It ended with my shorts around my ankles…" She pulled the shirt up, revealing her perfect ass. "And me bent over, like this…" She leaned further forward, and trembled when Damon ran his hands up and down her back, placing them on her hips.

"I think I know where we go from here," he offered in a strained voice, nudging her legs further apart. He released one of her hips to guide his head to her slick entrance, and waited there for a moment.

"I don't think I can wait anymore, Damon."

He bent over her. "What do you say?"

She spoke in a voice that was trembling with anticipation. "Please!"

He drove into then, hard and fast, and her mouth opened with a silent scream. She was acutely aware that they were outside, and that made it all the more thrilling. When he moved inside of her again, he pulled her hips back, and went deeper than ever before.

"Ohmigod! Ohmigod! Ohmigod!" she was chanting.

It truly didn't take long for either of them to climax; they were still both so sensitive from a weekend of exploits that they were already on edge, even before they'd woken. Once he had spilled inside of her, Damon pulled Elena close and simply held her for a few minutes. And they took in the rest of the sunrise just like that.


	16. Fight, Flight or Fall

**A/N: So, I was legitimately concerned that the next chapter wouldn't be long enough, but I ended up transplanting some of it to this chapter because it got so long.**

**In other news… No one got the reference! Oh well… The actor who plays Alaric also played the douchebag boyfriend from Legally Blonde. I thought that fact was mildly entertaining.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_Find yourself another place to fall; Find yourself up against another brick wall; See yourself as a fallen angel; Well I don't see no holes in the road, but you find another place to fall._

_Another Place to Fall by K.T. Tunstall_

* * *

All too soon, Damon had pulled up in front of the airport. It was decided that he wouldn't go in with Elena; the less they were seen together, the better. She had her disguise back on, and he found it very off-putting.

But not quite off-putting enough, apparently, since he currently had Elena in his lap, his tongue in her mouth, his hands lazily traveling along the newly familiar territory. He felt her fingers in his hair, her arms pulling him tighter, trying to hold on even though they both knew that it wouldn't be enough.

With a bit of manoeuvring, she straddled him, and he leaned back, allowing her to take the lead. She kissed down his jaw, nipped at his earlobe, and continued kissing a trail down to his clavicle before moving back up a little to suck at his neck. His hands were hidden under the back of her shirt, rubbing her back as she worked her lips and tongue across his skin.

And just as her fingers made their way to the buttons of his shirt, there was a bang on the window. They both jumped from the sound, and turned towards it, only to see Caroline standing on the other side, looking serious.

"We're busy!" Damon yelled through the glass.

She only banged on the window again, and with an irritated growl, Elena slid off of him and stepped out of the car. Damon was momentarily stunned by the fact that Elena, his Elena (and how his stomach flipped at that thought), had actually growled. Then he followed her out of the car as well.

"I know that I just interrupted you two, again, but this is really important!" Caroline was pleading with them to listen to her.

"What?" Elena had softened at the tone in her friend's voice. "What's wrong?"

"I just got off the phone with Bonnie. She and Jeremy did something, some kind of spell, to get into Luca's head, to make him tell the truth about why Elijah's helping you." The younger vampire swallowed hard, and Damon moved instinctively closer to Elena. "He told them that Elijah's planning on going through with the sacrifice." When Elena showed no reaction, Caroline tried again. "He's going to let you die, Elena."

Before the other girl could answer, Damon was speaking. "Well, you can't go back now." He met Elena's eyes. "We'll have to hide you somewhere. We can get you a safehouse, or something. Caroline," the blonde nodded, "You can go back and pick up whatever Elena needs. I'll let you know where –"

"I already knew," Elena whispered.

"What?" both vampires exclaimed.

"Elijah's very careful about what he says, and he never once mentioned protecting me. It was always about keeping everyone that I love safe." Her eyes had lingered on Damon for a half-second before moving on to Caroline, who was keeping her lips locked together.

Well Damon sure as well wasn't going to keep quiet. He grabbed Elena's shoulder and turned her to face him. "You can't be serious. I know that you have this ridiculous suicidal streak, and an insane saviour complex, but you can't actually plan to go through with this."

"Klaus is unstoppable. We've all been looking into it, right? And nothing. We won't be able to stop him, without hurting or killing people that I care about. So if I, one person, have to die to keep all of you safe, I'll do it."

"Elena, you can't –" Damon choked for a second. "You can't allow this! I won't allow this!"

And just like that, the spell that the weekend had woven, snapped. She stepped back, out of his grasp, and her gaze froze.

"It isn't your choice to make, Damon. You, and Stefan, and everybody, keep talking about how you're all willing to die to protect me. Is it so unbelievable that I would die to protect all of you?"

"But we've lived!" Damon practically shouted. "Stefan and I… We've had lifetimes to experience things. We've both done terrible things to a lot of people. Hell, we deserve to die, even if it wasn't just to protect you."

"But that doesn't matter to me. It isn't heroic of you –"

"You're right," Damon interrupted in a suddenly cold and quiet voice. "It isn't heroic. You aren't being noble, Elena. You're being stupid. And I won't stand by, and watch you fall." He started walking back to the car. "Until you're ready to listen to reason, don't bother with me. I'm done trying to save you, when you won't even save yourself.

And with that, he slid into the car, slammed the door, and tore off.

* * *

He didn't make it very far before he had to pull over just to calm himself down. He tried to ignore the pain that was setting in, like hot pokers through his entire body. Elena was finally his, and she was willing to let that all go, to sacrifice herself without a thought about how the people around her would react. Was she even planning to say anything? Would she just disappear one day, sneak out of his bed and be gone forever?

He slammed his fist down on the dashboard, a surprising move considering he valued the old car more than almost anything else on Earth. With a long exhale, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and deleted the new text message that Elena had already sent him. He had lied to her when he'd said that he wouldn't save her.

Within half a minute, Isobel had picked up on her end.

"We'll have to speed it up," he ordered, and promptly hung up.

* * *

The flight back toward Mystic Falls was awkward for the two girls. Caroline was just as angry as Damon, if only a little less vocal about. Elena had known that people would react like this, but it didn't stop the hurt from piercing her system at the thought of Damon's parting words.

"Caroline, I –"

The blonde put her hand up. "I'm on board with Damon. So if you want to argue about that, screw you."

Luckily, the flight was short, but when they were driving back from Richmond, Elena tried again.

"How are things with you and…" she paused, unsure of whether to ask about Tyler or Matt.

"Fine," Caroline snapped.

"… Matt. How are things with you and Matt?"

"He won't talk to me because of Tyler."

"And how's Tyler?"

"He's… I don't really know. He found out that I'm a vampire, and wouldn't talk to me before we left. He won't answer my phone calls or texts or anything."

"Oh… Well…"

The tense atmosphere set in again, and they were silent until they arrived back home.

* * *

Once Caroline had dropped her off, Elena spent a long moment waiting outside before entering the house. She was so emotionally exhausted from the weekend, especially her fight with Damon and Caroline's lack of understanding, that she just wanted to sneak up to bed. She managed to plead fatigue to Jenna and blow off Jeremy before escaping to her room and crawling into bed, determined not to cry herself to sleep.

And yet again, in the middle of the night, she sat bolt upright in her bed with the sensation that someone was watching her. This time, she didn't even bother with the light.

"Hello Elijah," she sang.

There was a sinking sensation on the edge of her bed, and Elijah's face came into view.

"Hello Elena. How was your trip?"

"Fine," she lied. They were silent for a moment. "I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"Yes," he answered simply. She had known the answer before he'd said it, but somehow, hearing it from him made everything seem so much worse. She felt the tears spill down her cheeks.

And then, Elijah did something amazing. He leaned forward with a handkerchief, dried her face, and continued speaking. "But you will not stay dead."

"I – What?"

"I had had an elixir created for the last doppelganger, before she decided to take her own way out. The witches with whom I dealt felt that it created a sort of balance: The doppelganger is, by her own existence and never by her own choice, doomed to serve as the sacrifice. There is no karmic reasoning, no poor decision-making, that leads to this fate. So the witch was able to bend the rules of magic to reverse death, one time only. It will allow you to fulfill the requirements of the sacrifice, by which I mean die, and then continue your life as a perfectly normal human being, free of all consequences except for those brought on yourself."

"So," she was still attempting to fully grasp his meaning, "I'll be okay?"

"Yes. You will be perfectly fine."

For the second time, Elena found herself launching across her bed to hug Elijah. Then, she lunged back, trying, all at once, to turn on the lamp and grab her cell phone.

"I have to call Damon."

Elijah was smiling in mild amusement. "And why is that?"

"Because he thought I was going to die, and he got so angry…" For a terrifying moment, Elena pictured Damon attempting to kill Elijah with the vaguely-described, Originals-killing, dagger. She dialled faster.

"Dammit," she mumbled, "Voicemail."

"_This is Damon. Leave a message."_

* * *

And across the country, Damon had drunkenly picked up his phone, focused on the blurry letters spelling out the name 'ELENA', and then thrown the handset into the wall.

* * *

"Hey! It's Elena! Look, I know that you're mad at me, but you need to call me back. I have really good news! So call me back. Please." She added the last word in a voice so pathetic and vulnerable, it would have made Klaus himself burst into tears.

"Who was he angry with?" Elijah asked casually.

Elena was still watching her phone, hoping in vain that Damon would call her back immediately. "Me. He thought that I had given up on myself. But," she looked up at her companion quickly, "He doesn't understand that I was doing it for him too. If Klaus was coming for me, along with all of the vampires and werewolves in the world, not only would I die, but he would get caught in the crossfire. And just thinking about it…"

She seemed to have forgotten that Elijah was even there, as wrapped up in her confession as she was.

"Do you love him?"

Elena took a moment before answering. "Yes."

The Original smiled a little. "And are you in love with him?"

"Does it make a difference?"

"Oh," Elijah murmured, rising from the bed and making his way back to his customary seat in the corner, "I believe that it shall."

* * *

At school the next day, Elena was ambushed on her way to lunch. She was dragged outside by a tag team made up of Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy and Stefan. Once they were all stationed at the furthest picnic table from the building itself, the intervention began.

"Look, Elena, we all care about you –" Jeremy began, only to be interrupted by Caroline.

"And we know you. We know where you're coming from when you say that you're willing to die, but –"

Bonnie spoke up. "You have to understand that we wouldn't be able to live with ourselves, knowing that we lost you because we didn't do anything."

"So we're going to fight," Stefan said quietly, "Even if you won't. We're going to keep working to get you out of this, no matter how apathetic you get."

Elena felt like her heart was going to explode. She had always known that she was surrounded by amazing people, but she had never expected a showing such as this. And it turned the tide in her heart. Because even though Elijah had already saved her, the point of view that she had held was still the same: She would walk willingly to her (temporary) death, and allow everything to pass without making a fuss. But now… Everything had changed.

"Okay, guys," her friends were all still talking at her, but she had heard enough, "You've convinced me. I won't wait around for the end to come. We'll make sure that everyone survives what's coming. Including me."

_Now_, she added mentally, _If only Damon would answer the damned phone so I could tell him too._

Stefan interrupted her thoughts. "Well now that that's settled, I think it's only fair to ask to only question on people's minds: What's with the limp?"

Elena looked at Caroline, who looked back at her. And then they burst into a fit of giggles and walked away together, leaving three very confused people in their wake.

* * *

The laugher wouldn't last very long. When Elena and Jeremy got home from school, it was to raucous yelling emanating from the kitchen. They looked at each other in confusion before proceeding with caution. When the two arguing adults noticed the teenagers' presence, they clammed up. Jenna stormed out of the room without a backward glance, leaving Elena and Jeremy to stare in shock at Uncle John.

"Hey guys."

The siblings stood, shoulder to shoulder, eyeing the blonde man with no small amount of disdain.

"Now what are you here for?" Elena snapped.

John's eyes slid over to Jeremy, and then back to his daughter. "I received a phone call. _Someone_ is concerned for your well-being –"

Jeremy snorted. "Welcome to the club. And who would bother calling you anyway? The last time you were here…"

"Jer, stop," Elena ordered, placing a calming hand on her brother's arm. She knew who had called John and why. "Isobel?"

John nodded. "She seems to think that the people around you aren't taking your circumstances very seriously."

Before either of the teenagers could respond, there was a quiet knock at the front door. The guest let themselves in, and within a moment, Elijah emerged into the kitchen.

"Good evening Elena, Jeremy," he nodded in their direction before glancing at John. "And let me assure you, John Gilbert, that we are taking the threat against Elena's life very seriously. And, curiously enough, you are not on her list of loved ones to protect." He gave a quick look to his ward, and then back at her father. "So my suggestion would be, if you do not wish to become a casualty, that you leave. Immediately."

John swallowed thickly, evaluating the situation and realizing that he would find no support here. He met Elena's eyes, and spoke.

"We'll talk soon, Elena."

Then he turned on his heel, and calmly left through the kitchen door.


	17. How Do I Get You?

**A/N: Asking for a couple of favours – I just posted the full Not Your Phantom. It was requested by a friend of mine, so I'm really unsure about the final product. If you get a chance to check it out, I'd really appreciate any feedback.**

**On a related note, I'm seriously considering doing a sequel to The Day After. If anyone's read it, or has time to read it, I'd like to hear whether it's worth the effort to follow it up.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_I hear the ticking of the clock; I'm lying here the room's pitch dark. I wonder where you are tonight; no answer on the telephone. And the night goes by so very slow; oh I hope that it won't end though… Alone._

_Alone by Heart (suck it Alyssa Reid!)_

* * *

"_This is Damon. Leave a message."_

"Hey, it's Stefan. Look, there's some information that you need to catch up on, so you really need to call Elena back. And if you're too mad at her, call me back. Or Caroline. Or _someone_. Okay? She isn't going to die Damon!"

* * *

It was becoming a habit that, in the early hours of the morning, Elena would wake up, and Elijah would emerge from the darkness, and the two would talk. They would discuss family and friends; Elena would sit, enthralled, as Elijah recounted tales from his seemingly endless life.

After a couple of nights, Elena finally ventured a topic that she knew would be touchy.

"Elijah? How do you feel about, maybe, relaxing a bit on Stefan and Katherine?" She bit her lip as she awaited his response.

"No."

It was too dark for her to see his face, and she pretended, for her own comfort, that the same was true for him.

"But she was helping."

"No."

"Look," she leaned forward, and his face came into view, "I'm on your side. She's dangerous when she has access to people, and, if I'm allowed to be shallow for a minute, he cheated on me with her, and I don't want to give them the satisfaction…"

She took a deep breath, and noticed that he was smirking a little, his dark gaze boring into her as it always did. She was stricken with the conscious realization that he was the most intense person she had ever met.

Then, she continued. "But maybe just let him see her once a week or something. She'll be more likely to put her time to good use; he'll be much less bitter than –"

"Has he been upsetting you?" He wore a distinctly concerned expression which Elena was finding, much to her consternation, to be very familiar now.

"No, he hasn't. But I'm trying to be proactive. I don't want to make him an enemy, Elijah. I need all the friends that I can get."

The Original looked a little stricken. "You have me."

At those words, they walked into a territory that Elena was much more at ease with: How to comfort people.

She reached over to cover his hand with her own. "And you have no idea how much that means to me. I know that it's important to you, for you to have someone that you're protecting. And I really want you to know that I'm so glad that you're part of my life." She paused for emphasis, and remembered what he had said to John a few nights before. "And if the situation were different, you would be on my list of people to protect."

Elijah smiled a little at that, staring hard at their joined hands. Then he sighed. "They may have one evening a week to spend as they choose, as long as Katerina spends the majority of her time on a project that you would have for her. Is that acceptable?"

Elena's face split into a wide smile. "That's great Elijah. Thank you so much for this. I promise you won't regret it."

… Famous last words, indeed.

* * *

"_This is Damon. Leave a message."_

"Damon. It's Caroline. Answer the damn phone already. John's back in town and Elena really needs your support, or whatever. God, it's so weird to think of you two like that. Ugh… Just, call her back already!"

* * *

Elena sat in the tomb, scuffing at the ground with her Converse shoe. After Katherine had refused to come out into plain sight, the younger doppelganger had taken to throwing rocks across the now inactive seal until her ancestor chose to reveal herself.

"You're really hard to work with, did you know that?"

There was a laugh from within the tomb, and Katherine finally sauntered out.

"I've heard that before. And you aren't here to work with me; you're here to extort something from me. Am I right?"

Elena smiled kindly. "Not this time. Here," she tossed a blood bag and Katherine caught it deftly, tearing into it the moment the she had it in her grasp. "I talked to Elijah."

The vampire's expression shifted a bit, from aggressive to interested, but the slight change in demeanour was fleeting, and gone by the time Elena registered it.

"And," she looked around theatrically, "I don't see Stefan, so I guess that your little powers of persuasion didn't work out so well, huh?"

"Actually, we compromised. Stefan's allowed down one evening every week to see you. He can bring you stuff, you guys could throw a party, do whatever you want. The only thing is that you need to spend the rest of your time down here constructively."

Katherine heaved a sigh. "So I'm back on diary-duty?"

"Pretty much."

"Only once a week?" the older woman whined.

"It's better than the 'definitely never ever 'till the end of time' that I originally got from him. And," Elena's voice became softer, more vulnerable, "If you're really lonely or something… I mean… I could try and come down some time. If you want?"

Both women were silent as Katherine absorbed what Elena meant. It was a huge moment for them; Elena had spent a lot of time alternately terrified and irritated by Katherine. For her to offer her companionship to her ancestor was unforeseen. But the younger girl had seen something during their last conversation that planted the seed of doubt; doubt that Katherine was maybe not rotten through and through. And her evasion when the human had first arrived had only cemented it. Elena's parting words, that Katherine didn't truly have 'friends', only people indebted to her, had actually struck the vampire.

So when she finally answered with a: "Well, it's not like I could stop you from coming down anyways," it was Katherine-speak for: "I accept your offer, and am touched by the gesture."

Elena stood up, dusting herself off. "Okay then. Stefan should be down at some point over the next few days. And if you read anything in the journals…"

"… I'll let you guys know. Go team!" she finished with mock enthusiasm.

* * *

"_This is Damon. Leave a message."_

"Hey man, it's Jeremy. I'll have to talk fast, 'cause Elena's in the bathroom. We had this intervention thing for her, and she's going to fight. But she needs all of us backing her up for that. And, I'm a little worried about her. I mean, she went on this weekend trip to Caroline's dad's and she came back all bruised and limping… Damn, here she comes. Call back."

* * *

A crack snaked up the drywall from where Damon had slammed Isobel into the wall.

"Ow!" she shrieked. "What the hell was that for? I don't even know which hotel you're staying in!"

He thumped her again, anger and whiskey pounding their way through his system. "For some reason, John has reappeared in Mystic Falls. And I'm choosing to blame you."

She shoved him, and he stumbled backward, a little unsteady from the alcohol. "Yes, I called him. I do not want my daughter around vampires. And I especially do not want her around you."

"Maybe you two should have thought about that before you gave her up for adoption. But as it stands, you relinquished all of your rights when you walked out of her life. And, news flash: SHE'S THE FUCKING DOPPELGANGER! THERE IS NO WAY TO KEEP HER UNINVOLVED AT THIS POINT, YOU STUPID BITCH!"

Damon pushed her into the wall again, and moved to leave the house that she was staying in. He stopped when she spoke again.

"Listen up Damon. I will not allow you to ruin her life. And you know that you will. You know that you are a monumental screw-up, and she has all of the potential in the world. I will find a way to keep her safe, even if it kills me."

Damon didn't bother to answer, he simply stalked off.

* * *

"_This is Damon. Leave a message."_

"Fine then… Don't answer the damn phone! I'm just going to leave messages until you get so annoyed that you _have_ to call me back. Argh! I'm dealing with John-drama, Stefan and Katherine-drama, doppelganger crap, and Elijah being super-overprotective. God… It's just so much! … Please, Damon. I really need you. Please…."

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_In numerical order today;_

_Damon still won't answer the phone, or call back (What if he never answers? What if he never comes back? What happened to me! We aren't even really together! I shouldn't be this panicked at the thought of him leaving!) ;_

_I think Katherine and I are… Well, neither of us is trying to kill the other, so that's a big step, right? And Stefan's been really supportive, so at least there's that. Maybe it isn't all bad…_

_And I got Damon out of the deal. I think it was really only a matter of time before it happened. In retrospect, I guess that everyone was right. Isobel said it, Damon said it… Hell, even Stefan himself said it._

_I'm a little worried about John, but not for the reasons that everyone thinks. I'm still mad at him, and I definitely don't trust him, but… He really is the only parent who's still _alive_. I just don't want to alienate him for good, but he does need to know that he can't just keep acting like this. He almost killed Stefan and Damon last year; he _did_ kill Anna; he's working with Isobel (I won't even go there) and Katherine (which isn't so bad now, maybe?); and who knows why he's here this time._

… _I won't say it; I won't say it; I won't OMG! DAMON'S CALLING!_

* * *

"Hello?" Elena answered the phone tentatively, as though if she sounded too loud or happy, Damon would disappear from the planet.

He cleared his throat. "_Hello beautiful._"

The floodgates burst open, and everything came pouring out at once. "Damon! I'm so happy to hear from you! I was worried that maybe you were in trouble or something! And guess what! Elijah told me that I won't actually die! I mean, I will die, but I'll come back! And you were right, I wasn't being brave or heroic or anything; I was being stupid. But I'm over it, and I'm going to fight. And John's here, and –"

"_Elena? Unless you've made some kind of species change that I don't know about, you need to breathe at some point_."

"Oh." On her end, Elena blushed. "Sorry. I'm just –" She stopped suddenly, all sorts of emotions rushing to the surface, and unforgivably honest words sat on the tip of her tongue. "I got so used to talking to you every day, that it was strange when that… stopped."

The line went quiet. Then, "_I didn't mean it, when I said that I was over saving you. I'll never be over saving you, Elena. I was just angry and,_" he waited again, "_Scared when you said that you were ready to die. I'm not ready for you to die._"

"Damon, I –"

"_Sh… It's okay. Let's just… move on to better things. For example, I'm pretty sure that I promised to help you with any 'problems' that come up._"

He chuckled, causing Elena's stomach to tighten, and her legs to tremble. She'd never done this before.

"What do I do?" She heard her own voice come out in a breathy rasp already as she leaned back into the pillows.

"_Where are you right now?_"

"I'm in my bed." She heard him groan quietly, and it made her smile. "Wearing that shorts and tank top combo that you love so much."

"_Love it. Close your eyes._" She did as he told her, her heart pounding in anticipation. "_I'm lying next to you, running my hand up your thigh._" He paused, and she heard a shuffle as he took off his shirt. "_I love your legs._"

Without being told, she trailed a hand up and down her thigh. "Mmm… I'm shaking. I want you, Damon," she purred.

"_I roll on top of you, and you grind down on my leg. Feel yourself, through the shorts. Are you wet?_"

Her hand moved to cup her sex, and she felt the dampness through the fabric. "Yes…"

"_Good. I slide your shirt off, and kiss your stomach_." She took off her top and let her fingertips dance across her abdomen. When she hummed into the phone, Damon moaned. "_I love your breasts. They're perfect. I'm kissing them right now, and sucking…_" With both hands, she kneaded her breasts, pinching and thumbing the nipples. A gasp escaped her lips.

"I'm holding your head there. God, Damon, it feels so good." There was a moment of silence, as Elena continued teasing herself, and Damon panted quietly on the other end of the phone. "Are you naked?" she asked him.

"_Not yet._"

"I roll us over, and pull off your pants." She gave him a moment. "I can feel you through my shorts."

He groaned. "_I want to be inside of you Elena. Slide your hand inside your shorts and tell me how wet you are._"

"I'm dripping. It's gone through the shorts. I'm so wet for you."

"_I'm on top of you again, and I kiss your clit as I pull your shorts off. Mmm… You taste so good._"

She slid off her shorts, and reclined further, lying flat on her back, leaving the lamp on. Elijah never showed up until all the lights were off, and she really didn't want to be interrupted right now.

"I want you now Damon. I'm ready for you. I'm touching you, and you're so hard." She had to whisper the last part, one hand working her breast, and the other sliding between her folds.

"_Slide one finger inside of yourself_."

She did, whimpering a little. "It isn't enough Damon. I need more."

"_Oh God Elena. You're killing me._" She could hear him moving, picturing him pumping himself; picturing her pumping him; picturing him on top of her, inside of her.

She added another finger and ground her hips as her hand moved. "Ah… Damon…"

There were no words anymore; just the sounds of them making love to each other from across the country. They gasped and moaned, hissed and whimpered. Elena had to admit; she had been sceptical of the effectiveness of this when Damon had introduced the idea during their visit. But this… Her body felt like it was on fire. She could practically feel Damon on top of her, her legs around his waist, his length inside of her. She would wrap her arms around him, dragging her nails down his back, biting down on his shoulder to keep quiet as he made her want to scream.

"_I want to taste you; your skin, your sweat, your everything_."

"Just a little more Damon… I'm so… Ah! Damon!"

She lowered her voice as she came, trying not to wake anyone by screaming. A few moments later, she heard him rasp out her name. They were both silent, breathing hard. Elena's legs were twitching, and she kept moving her hand in and out, desperate to prolong the fantasy that Damon was there with her.

"_How do you feel?_"

"Good. I'm just… Ahh… I'm feeling good."

"_I miss you_."

"I miss you too. I miss waking up with you, and falling asleep with you."

"_I miss kissing your skin when I wake up_."

"Mmmm… I miss…"

She flushed, and it was as though Damon could feel it through the phone. "_Yes?_"

She could hear him smirk. "I miss not being able to walk to the next day."

He snorted. "_Yeah, Jeremy left me a very concerned message about the state that you were in when you came back from your trip. He suspects foul play of some kind, because you were, and I quote 'all bruised and limping.'_"

"Nothing foul at least." She yawned and glanced at her alarm clock. "Hm… I'll have to get some different pyjamas and turn out the lights. Elijah will be here soon for babysitting duty."

"_In your room?_" Damon growled.

"Yes, in my room. But don't worry; you're the only vampire I actually _want_ in here."

Within a minute, Elena was redressed and tucked into bed, her bedroom darkened and her window open. But they were on the phone much later than that, and she fell asleep to the sound of Damon's breathing.

* * *

**A/N: This is the first time I've ever written phone sex, so any feedback, good or bad, is appreciated.**


	18. I Hate This Place

**A/N: Mark the date: This is the first chapter that I've ever had to crop down… And it's still really damn long. I was going to post the next chapter with it, but… Well, I'll explain at the end of the chapter. Huge thanks to spiritedghost for the advice about phone sex. Uh… unrelated note… little bit of smut.**

**Also, everyone's reviewing that they really really really want Damon to come back. I promise, it's coming up soon! I swear. Like, really really soon!**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_She ran picked up the phone, said 'Babe I miss you come back home; It can't be long, boy it can't be long'  
He said 'I hate this place; I miss your smile, I miss your face; I wrote a song, girl I wrote a song'_

_The Sweater Song by Hedley_

* * *

The Grill was packed with people, Jeremy, Elena and Jenna included, although the two women were currently gone to washroom. The younger was poking at his fries when he glanced up and noticed Uncle John walking into the restaurant. He tried, in vain, to hide behind Matt Donovan, but, unfortunately, he hadn't had time to warn Elena and Jenna, who were returning from the washroom just in time for the eldest Gilbert to spot them and make his way over.

"Hello everyone," he began.

"Oh _gawd_," Jenna drawled, rolling her eyes, "I think I'll need some drink if he insists on stalking us."

"That isn't a very good example for these two impressionable teens, now is it Jenna?" John replied.

"Neither is being an obnoxious asshole, John," Elena bit off.

"Now, now, Elena. That's no way to speak to your father."

At that, Jeremy promptly dropped his fork, Elena's eyes widened and her lips tightened into a scowl, and Jenna choked on her water.

"Your what?" the older woman blurted at her niece, who was glaring at the blonde man.

Elena stood up. "You unbelievably callous –"

"It's true?" Jenna yelled, making the nearby tables quiet down to observe the family drama.

John smirked. "Elena, will you speak to me alone please. Now."

With a glance around, the young girl violently rose from her seat and led her father out of the restaurant.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked shrilly once they were on the sidewalk.

"What's wrong with me? What is wrong with you? Your mother called –"

"Do _not_ call her that. That _thing_ is not my mother."

"Fine! _Isobel_ called about your little rendezvous with Damon. As if Stefan wasn't bad enough, at least he had your best interests at heart."

Elena cut him off, speaking very slowly, as though John himself was a little slow. "_Stefan_ cheated on me with _Katherine_. You know; my vampire twin who wants me dead; the one that you keep working with."

"Elena Gilbert!" John yelled in exasperation. "I will not allow you to go gallivanting about the country, following your dangerous and unpredictable vampire boyfriend around –"

"You think you have any say in what I do? And Damon isn't necessarily –"

At this point, the two were so caught up in what they were doing that they didn't notice someone join them.

"Is there a problem?" Stefan asked quietly.

Both Gilbert's were silent as the vampire observed Elena with concern, and then John with a dangerous glint in his eye. "I thought that I told you to get the hell out of this town?"

Elena smirked a little, but John was not to be intimidated. "Katherine? Really?"

Stefan simply stared indifferently. "We're not discussing my decisions; we're discussing yours. What are you doing back here?"

"Were _you_ aware of Elena's little visit to Damon?" Unfortunately, Elena's hand covered John's mouth a moment too late, but Stefan didn't show any indication that he was affected by this news, apart from a quick glance at his ex-girlfriend.

"Her decisions are her own, and I trust that whatever she does, she does it safely. And," he swallowed hard, as though he had some unpleasant substance in his mouth, "Elena's safety is Damon's primary concern. I would counsel you not to doubt that. Now, if you are in any way threatening my brother or Elena, we're going to have a serious problem. Understood?"

There was silence, and John's face softened as he glanced back at Elena. "Look, I'm here to help you. I'll give you a couple of days, but then I want you to tell me what's going on, okay?"

And without waiting for a response, he was gone.

* * *

"_Why hello there Stefan. To what do I owe the pleasure?_"

Stefan scowled uselessly at the phone. He was not in the mood to deal with his brother's attitude. "Shut up Damon. Was Elena with you when I called last weekend?"

There was a pause. "_And why would you ask me that?_"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Because John mentioned it tonight."

"_And why would you possibly believe him?_"

"Because Elena practically tackled him to the ground to keep him quiet."

Damon chuckled. "_That's the spirit! Okay, she was with me last weekend._"

Stefan spluttered. "What? Why didn't you tell me? I was worried about her!"

"_I told you that she was alive. That's all you asked. In fact, I even checked her pulse for you. And believe you me brother, her heart rate was skyrocketing!_"

The younger vampire was filled with the sudden urge to hit something. "Shut up! I've accepted that you two are 'together'; I don't need to hear the details."

"_Why not? I had to listen to you and her for a year._"

Well, he did have a point… "This isn't the time to argue about that. We need to work together if we're all going to get out of this alive, okay? So if something like this happens again, would you please let someone know?"

"_Caroline knew._" The smirk undoubtedly plastered on Damon's face was audible. He was just trying to be a prick, and Stefan knew it. "_And Elijah knew. I'm sorry if you aren't in the circle, but…_" He drifted off, chuckling.

"Oh, did Elena tell you about the school dance coming up? Everyone knows that she and I are over, so a lot of the guys on the football team are thinking of making their move. She doesn't have a real boyfriend, right?" He paused to listen with satisfaction to Damon growling.

"_You asshole!_"

"Goodnight Damon."

* * *

During lunch the next day, Elena tracked Alaric down for a Jenna-related meeting in his classroom. The aunt had been furious that her niece had kept her paternity a secret, and had asked her, point blank, if there was anything else that she should know about.

Which made Elena feel particularly uncomfortable.

"We need to tell her about the vampires, Ric! It's getting dangerous for her not knowing, and the longer we put it off, the harsher it'll be if and when she finds out."

"I know," the teacher answered softly, "John's already threatened to out us about Isobel."

Elena growled. "Did I tell you about my new plan to deal with John? It involves sewing his mouth shut, and it's sounding more and more appealing."

"How about this?" Alaric put his hands on Elena's shoulders and met her eyes. "Give me a few days to get my thoughts together. By the weekend, you and I can go over what we'll say to her, and then we'll have a nice dinner, and take the plunge. Okay?"

She giggled a little. "You sound like you're proposing to her or something. But it sounds good. Thanks for the talk." She turned to walk away, but Alaric pulled her back.

"Anytime Elena. I mean that… Anytime."

* * *

When she made it out to the hall, her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she did a shoulder check before ducking into the washroom to answer. It was a text message from Damon.

"_Hello beautiful. How are you this fine afternoon?"_

Elena tapped out a response. "_At school; trying to decide whether to bare my soul to Jenna and considering extreme measures about John. The usual."_

As soon as she hit send, the door opened, revealing Caroline and Bonnie.

"Hey Elena! What's up?" Bonnie asked.

"Nothing much. I just –"

The phone buzzed again, and Elena checked the message without a thought. "_I think when I come back we should sneak Ric's keys to the school. I would love to bend you over a desk and –_"

Elena almost dropped the phone, blood rushing to her face making her feel feverish. She coughed, and tried to slide the handset back into her pocket. Unfortunately, she missed her friends' curious glances, and before she knew what had happened, Caroline had the phone in her palm and was reading the message.

"No!" Elena exclaimed, reaching out to grab the phone back. "Caroline, don't –"

"Whoa!" Caroline looked at the phone, her eyes wide, and then looked back at Elena. "That's… Intense."

Elena ripped the phone back and shoved it into her pocket, glaring at her friend and trying to ignore the new throbbing between her legs at the thought of Damon bending her over anything.

* * *

After a solid twenty minutes of staring at nothing, Katherine finally glanced at the books within her reach. She exhaled a long breath and reached for two tomes: One that she was reading, and the other that she needed to cross-reference with.

She's been searching for anything related to the curse and/or Originals. And she thought that she was close to finding something out about both. One of the Martin ancestors had mentioned, in passing, a small inconsistency regarding what the curse would do. Katherine's eyes had widened, knowing that that it was a victory, albeit a small one. She had spent the past three days trying to find a follow-up, but the grimoires that were referenced were each written in different languages. So now she had to go through each, translate the pieces that she already knew, and decode everything from there.

She couldn't wait to solve the mystery, and tell Stefan and Elena what she'd found out.

Wait.

What the hell?

Just as she was hit with that particular epiphany, she heard the tell-tale scuffling at the door, meaning that she had a visitor. It could be one of three people (in order of preference): Stefan, Elena or Elijah.

Luckily, Stefan wandered into her eye line just as she had shut all the books and shoved them haphazardly to the side. No use in getting anyone all worked up before she actually had something.

"Hey," Stefan said softly.

She rose and dusted herself off, accepting his standard kiss on the cheek before turning and capturing his lips in a fierce reciprocation. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and slid her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer.

"Whoa," he murmured against her lips, pulling away a little, "That's a nice hello."

"Stefan," she began in a seductive voice, her eyes widening and her hands pressed against his chest, "I haven't seen you in weeks. And while Elena hasn't necessarily been the worst company –"

"Wait a second," he pulled back further, "Elena's been down here? Alone?"

Katherine nodded slowly. "A couple of times. But let's move on." She grinned and pressed herself against him again.

After a moment of hesitation, Stefan smiled and pushed her up against the wall. "Moving on. Got it."

* * *

And on the other side of town…

"Maybe you should have some kind of code for 'my boyfriend is sexting me; don't touch the phone'."

Elena glared at Caroline as they walked into the half-empty Grill. "And maybe you shouldn't grab things out of my hands. And he isn't my boyfriend. And he wasn't –"

"If you say that he wasn't sexting you, I'll repeat the message out loud."

"Fine then, but he isn't my boyfriend." Caroline snorted. "Look, Care, you know how he is; he's fickle and all over the place. He'll probably come back and realize that I'm too much trouble, and…"

Caroline looked like she wanted to say something, but Bonnie arrived at that moment, and Elena took the opportunity to sneak off to the corner and call Damon.

"_Hello?_" He sounded a little more standoffish than usual, and Elena frowned.

"Hey! Are you busy?"

"_I'm actually right in the middle of something, hang on._" He put her on hold, and when he came back, she could hear Isobel saying something quietly in the background. "_Well, it's the only way to do it, so I guess that's what we'll have to do. Now quit bitching, you know that it's what you want too._"

"Damon?"

She heard a door close in the background. "_I was busy. Now I'm done._"

She waited for him to continue, but to no avail. He definitely sounded upset with her in particular, aside from what he was saying to Isobel, but she couldn't figure out why he would be angry. "What's wrong? Is there… Oh!" The light bulb flipped on. "I got your text…"

"_Did you?_" He still sounded like he didn't care, which had the adverse effect: Elena was suddenly struck by the fact that, if he was annoyed that she hadn't answered his provocative text message, then he probably cared more than she thought.

With a sigh, she continued, "Yes. And when I started blushing, Caroline grabbed the phone." She smiled when she heard him laugh. "And I definitely agree with the idea that you had…"

The tension broke when he laughed quietly. "_That works out well."_

They talked for a while about the regular things, mostly her new plan to maim and torture her father, and it seemed to Elena that they were almost a normal couple.

"_So where are you right now?_"

He was speaking with a tone that made Elena's stomach tighten and her knees wobble.

She cleared her throat. "I'm at The Grill… Playing pool… With Caroline and Bonnie…"

"_Excellent. Go get some ice and go to the bathroom."_

"What? Damon, I'm in public. I don't know if this is the best -"

"_It'll be even better than last time…_"

After a moment of hesitation and with a nod at nobody but herself, Elena started forward and dropped her purse under the pool table, mouthed 'Bathroom' to her friends, and dutifully fetched the ice from the bar.

"_Lock the door. Or you could leave it, and make it a little more… exciting._"

She could hear the wink in his voice, but locked the door anyway. There were going to be quite a few irritated ladies out there, but luckily, it wasn't too busy.

"Okay. I've got ice, and the door's locked. What now?"

"_Stand in front of the mirror and take off all of your clothes._"

"But Damon, I –"

"_Unbutton your jeans._" She did, and slid them down her legs, stepping out of them and kicking them next to the door. "_Now your shirt._" Again, she obeyed. "_What colour lingerie are you wearing?_"

"Red," she answered softly, her voice trembling.

"_Mmm… Hang on_." She heard him shift in the background, and then he was back. "_Take an ice cube out, and run it along your collarbone._"

She did, and she gasped into the phone. "It's cold."

"_Just cold?_"

"It's making my skin tingle; it's…."

"_It's what?_"

"It's turning me on even more."

Damon moaned. "_Take another one and drag it along the edge of your bra._" He gave her a moment to obey, and then continued. "_How do you feel?_"

"Frustrated."

He laughed. "_You have no idea. Take off your bra, and tell me how hard your nipples are._"

Blushing even more than before, she reached behind her to unclasp her bra, letting it drop to floor as she examined herself in the mirror. She ran her thumb over one nipple and whimpered into the phone.

He groaned, and she heard the zip of his fly in the background. "_Are they hard?_"

"Yes…" she whispered.

"_Good… Take another ice cube and tease yourself with it._"

"I wish this was you," she said in a husky voice, "I wish it was your tongue…"

"_Fuck, Elena… I'm dying here!_"

The way he said her name just made it all so much better, or worse, or something. She took a shaky step forward and leaned against the counter, her forehead pressed up against the mirror.

"I want you here Damon." She swallowed thickly, still a little uncomfortable with what they were doing, but she'd be damned if it wasn't getting her off. "I want you inside of me."

"_Fuck!_" She could hear him panting, and when she closed her eyes, she saw him splayed on the bed, his muscles tight and his entire body covered with sweat, his hand gripped around his stiff member, pumping himself. "_Take off your panties. Are they wet?_"

"God yes." She tossed them haphazardly in the same direction as the rest of her clothes, and ran her finger lightly up and down the insides of her thighs. "It's dripping Damon."

"_If I was there, I'd have you up on the counter, and I would lick… it… all… up._"

"Please Damon… Tell me to touch myself. I need to touch myself."

She heard him cry out softly. "_You have no idea what you just did to me. You have no fucking clue. Take another ice cube, and run it down your legs, to 'clean up'._"

She whimpered as she did it. Her legs and hands were shaking so much now that she was surprised she could still stand. "Please Damon…"

"_Put that one in your mouth, and take another one, and_ –"

A banging on the door interrupted him. "Elena! Are you in there?" It was Bonnie.

"… _All the way to your clit, and back again._"

"God damnit! There's someone at the door."

Damon was quiet for a moment, but she could still hear him working himself. "_Tell them to go away, but for the love of God don't stop!_"

"Yeah, I'm in here. I, um… I made a mess…" She ran the ice cube up her slit, and almost collapsed when she finally touched her throbbing bundle of nerves. "… I'm just cleaning it up, Bon. I'll be out in a minute."

Bonnie's answer was drowned out by a sudden fuzziness in her brain as she continued to pleasure herself. When the ice melted, she kept going with just her fingers.

"More Damon! I need more!"

"_Yeah… I know…_" His voice was coming out now in sharp gasps, and she could practically feel his hot breath on her skin. "_Forget the ice! Put one leg up on the counter, and use three fingers. Go hard, baby, go hard!_"

As she did what she was told, a part of her brain registered the fact that he had just called her 'Baby'. That was new. "Fuck!" she cried out when she'd thrust her fingers inside.

"_Sh… You have to be quiet. Does it feel good?_"

"Oh my God Damon!" she chanted. Her head was spinning, and it felt like all of the muscles in her body were tensed up. When she closed her eyes, she could see Damon, thrusting into her. She cried out again.

"_Quiet! Oh God Elena, I'm so close…_"

"Yeah… I am too. Just a little – gah!"

Her orgasm hit hard, and she fell forward, her foot slipping from the counter as she held herself up by the mirror in front of her. She heard Damon yell her name as he came.

They were quiet together, just listening to each other's breathing. "_Elena?_" She moaned out an incomprehensible response. "_Was it good?_"

"Fuck," she whispered, trying to sort through her thoughts. "I have to try and walk out there again. I don't think I'll be able to do it."

Damon chuckled softly. "_I hate that I'm not holding you right now. I want to just watch you fall asleep._"

"In the bathroom of The Grill? Not quite as much fun as you'd think."

He laughed again. "_Get dressed. But put your panties in your pocket. If it were up to me, you'd never wear underwear again._"

She turned around and shuffled the few steps to the pile of her clothes. "I think that if it were up to you, I would never leave your bed."

"_Damn right. Now stay on the phone with me to make it look casual when you go back out there._"

"Fine." She pulled on her clothes and tucked her underwear into her pocket. "But no whispering dirty things. I'd like to at least pretend that we're _not_ just having sex all the time."

"_Not a problem. Actually, I have to go now anyways. But I'll talk to you soon. Bye._"

He hung up abruptly, and Elena frowned as she meandered back to the table, leaving her cup of now-melted ice at the bar.

When she made it back to her friends, they were both staring at her.

"What the hell did you spill that would take you that long to clean up?" Caroline asked.

Elena blushed. "Well, I brought my drink with me to talk to Damon somewhere quiet, and then I knocked it over and rather than let anyone get sticky…" Her phone buzzed, interrupting her yet again.

When she opened the message, she was surprised to see that it was from Damon.

"_Checklist for when I get back:_" he wrote, "_Desk in Ric's class; Bathroom at The Grill; TBA._"

With a sigh, she rolled her eyes and slid the phone back into her pocket. "So, for the record," she began, looking up at Caroline and Bonnie, "I am officially acknowledging that Damon Salvatore is ridiculous."

* * *

**A/N2: Okay, so the reason why I'm splitting up the chapters… That little snippet from Damon to Isobel is important. What do y'all think is coming for those two?**


	19. Hurry Up and Wait

**A/N: Chronic bronchitis. Bedridden for almost a week. Life sucks hard. I've rewritten this chapter about 4 times over the past week. And I know that it seems like Damon's never coming back, but I swear he is… Very very soon! I promise. He'll be back, and it'll be awesome. And, shock and awe, I'm currently working on a multi-chapter fic that does not involve Damon and Elena being split up for about 75% of the story, so good for me, I'm making progress.**

**If the characters are in any way OOC in this chapter, please blame the drugs (legal drugs… prescription stuff, I swear). I've tried, in my moments of lucidity, to tighten it up, but this is as good as it's going to get for the foreseeable future.**

**Enjoy, and review please. My supersick self is in need of some bolstering!**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

Elena and Jeremy were spending their Friday night together, watching movies and doing homework and trying not to dwell on the conversation that they were going to have with Jenna the next day. She was staying with Alaric for the night, and the couple were going to spend Saturday together, although the teacher had promised to have her back by dinner time for The Big Reveal. Elena sort of wanted to vomit at the thought of it.

On top of that, she was worried about Damon. Since talking to him at The Grill earlier in the week, they'd only spoken once, on Thursday, and even that was short. She'd tried calling him a few times, but to no avail. He hadn't answered or called her back, and it bothered her more than she liked. There was the terrifying possibility was he was in trouble, and _couldn't_ call her back, but what worried her the most was if he just didn't have time for her. She tried to keep reminding herself that, no matter what kind of _feelings_ he professed, he was still Damon; maybe she had said something that had upset him, and he just swallowed it, choosing instead to ignore her and move on. And that, to her, was scarier than the thought of him being in danger.

Eventually, she got tired of trying to keep her various unpleasant thoughts at bay and bade Jeremy goodnight. It was still early, only ten o'clock, but she was going to try to sleep away her nerves. She crept upstairs and took a long hot shower, which relaxed her body at least, if not her mind. When she finally crawled into bed, she left the lamp on and grabbed a magazine, her mind still racing and rendering her unable to just sleep.

And so, given her nervous state of mind, when her cell phone rang, she jumped, dropping the magazine and leaping for the device on her bedside table.

"Damon?"

A low chuckle. "_Hello beautiful._"

"Hey… What have you been up to? I couldn't get ahold of you."

"_We hit a snag. Don't worry too much about it; I just ended up driving through a couple of dead zones._"

Elena's stomach dropped. "A snag? For fucks' sakes Damon, how much longer are you going to be gone!"

She heard him laugh again, and it didn't help her temper one bit. "_A couple more errands, and then we should be able to grab the dagger and go._"

She waited for him to continue, certain that there was some other obstacle. He couldn't be this close, could he? "That's it?"

"_That's it. Now, much as I'd love to keep running in circles here, what I'd love even more…_"

"Would be if I stripped down and you could listen to me get myself off?"

"_You make it sound so cheap._"

"Well…" She went to lock her bedroom door. "I think we can work something out."

"_Oh yeah?_" She could practically hear the lewd grin he had plastered across his face. "_Like what?_"

"I just want you to talk to me," she murmured, slipping out of her pyjamas and heading back under the covers. "Where are you right now?"

"_Just driving down the highway,_" she closed her eyes and let her fingertips dance up and down her skin, starting at her collarbone and ending along her thigh before making her way back up again, "_I'm starting to get very tired of driving up and down the countryside._"

"Mm-hmm?" she answered, kneading her breasts before moving on to pinch and roll her nipples, "Ah… I'd hate to be stuck in a car all day."

"_Elena, what are you doing?_"

"Use your imagination Damon. Ah!" While one hand was still squeezing at massaging her breast, the other had slid down to stroke the insides of her thighs, and she accidentally rubbed her clit, surprising her with a jolt of pleasure up her spine. "I can tell you that your voice is making me very wet."

"_God…_" She heard him stop the engine of his car, and smiled at the thought of him having to pull over because of her, "_You're going to regret teasing me someday._"

She smiled, kicking the blanket off of herself and lightly rubbing her clit. "I'm looking forward to it."

Then, something strange happened. Her bed dipped, and for the terrifying moment before she managed to open her eyes, she thought that Elijah had snuck in while she was… occupied.

"_Good_," she heard as though in surround sound as her eyes snapped open to land on…

"Damon!" Elena blinked a few times before clamping her legs shut and dragging the blanket back over herself.

"Hello beautiful," Damon murmured, his eyes roving over her now covered body.

She sat up. "What the hell are you doing here?"

In a second, Damon was on top of her, pushing her back down into the mattress, lips on hers and his tongue plundering her mouth like he would die otherwise. Elena responded immediately, pressing herself flush against him and weaving her arms around his neck, trying to pull him impossibly closer.

"Damon," she said against his lips, "Damon. Damon. Damon. Hang on." She managed to pry his mouth off of hers by only an inch. "Seriously, how are you here?"

He groaned, pressing his forehead against hers. "I only have a few hours, and I can explain everything, but can we please…" He crawled back down her body, dragging the blanket with him, "… I just need to taste you."

And with that, he suddenly thrust his tongue into her warm centre, and she bucked her hips, reaching forward to grip his head and hold him in place. All questions were wiped from her thoughts as her mind became hazy with pleasure.

"Oh God… Damon, I can't believe you're… Yes! Right there!" She almost screamed when he moved up to suck on her bundle of nerves.

His hands had been holding her thighs, but they were roaming now, and she managed to catch one and lace her fingers through his. Every feeling was heightened even more at the feeling of intimacy from the contact. With his free hand, and without notice, he suddenly thrust two fingers inside of her, quirking them to stimulate her G-spot.

She cried out, and Damon pulled back for a moment, still working her with his fingers, and their eyes met. He was smirking. "Jeremy's downstairs. You have to be quiet, baby."

And there was that 'baby' again. But she didn't have much time to process it because he'd gone back to pleasuring her with his tongue.

"Damon," she whispered, "I need you. I want you now."

He didn't need any further explanation. He sat back, and Elena shuddered at the loss, although she didn't have to wait long. Within moments, he was crawling over her, their naked bodies pressed together as their lips met again.

Wordlessly, Elena reached down to guide Damon into her, and they both moaned at the union.

"Finally," Elena whispered against Damon's lips.

"Yeah," he breathed in response, pulling back to watch her as he thrust.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him on, and he growled into her neck as he complied. She whimpered with satisfaction, moving her hips in time with Damon's. She leaned up and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing every part of him that she could reach.

There was an urgency now; they had taken their time before, but they knew that the clock was running out. Elena had taken to sucking and nipping at Damon's neck, and the harder she went, the harder he pounded inside of her.

As Elena's vision blurred and brightened with her oncoming climax, she threw her head back, stretching and tightening her body.

"Yes," she breathed, "Yes yes yes!"

She cried out at her orgasm, and Damon followed shortly after, with a strangled yell.

They both lay, entangled, for a few moments, trying to catch their breath. Then, Damon looked at the clock, swore under his breath, and leapt up, grabbing for his clothes and yanking them back on.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked, covering herself with the blankets and sitting up.

"I'm late." He stopped to look at her and offered a sad smile. "I told you that I don't have much time. I have to go."

"Wait!" She stood up now, grabbing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from the chair in the corner. "You said that you'd explain to me what was going on. Where are you going? What are you doing?"

Damon was still moving, albeit slower. "I have to meet Isobel." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and frowned. "Actually, she should have called by now. That can't be good."

Elena took advantage of his momentary distraction and placed herself in front of him, her hands on his shoulders.

"Damon! Talk to me! What's going on?"

He sighed in exasperation, and rolled his eyes. "We had to come and pick something up. We were just supposed to breeze in and out, but…" He broke off, looking guilty about something. Or, at least, as guilty as Damon ever looked.

Elena frowned. "What did you do?"

He smirked at her. "I stole Isobel's sparkplugs, the last time I saw her. To slow her down so I could spend time with you."

He took her hands into his own and stepped closer to her, but she wasn't having any of it. "What? So you could come here, sleep with me, and then take off again? God Damon!"

"Well, we didn't actually sleep…"

She let out a yell of frustration, and Damon stepped back. "Is that all that this is Damon? You're gonna finish your little mission, and come back, and just drop me like all the other girls? Is that it?"

He dropped her hands and stepped back, and distinctly hurt expression distorting his features for a heartbeat before it was replaced with confusion. "Elena, I don't think –"

He stopped abruptly, both of them turning to the window when they heard a car pull up the driveway, and Alaric's voice drifting through the open window.

"What the hell is Damon's car doing here?"

"Uh oh," Damon muttered, meeting Elena's eyes.

Together, they crept to the landing of the stairs and waited for the inevitable explosion. They didn't have to wait long. Within a moment, the front door slammed open, and a furious Jenna burst into the house.

"ELENA GILBERT!" she screamed before noticing her niece cowering at the top of the stairs. "GET DOWN HERE NOW!"

The fact that the woman hadn't even mentioned Damon's presence made Elena even more nervous, but she made her way down nonetheless, the vampire a step behind her.

By then, Alaric had arrived with Isobel's unconscious body thrown over his shoulder, fireman style. He met Elena and Damon's eyes and attempted a half-shrug. "Isobel showed up at my place. Elena, we're going to have to reschedule that talk."

"Vampires!" Jenna exclaimed suddenly. "You know about these 'vampires'?" She was glaring at Elena.

"Um," Elena took a few wary steps toward her aunt, "Yes. We were going to tell you about it tomorrow night, when you and Ric came back. There was a dinner, and a whole thing… But right now..."

She looked from Jenna to Damon, who was edging toward the door, trying to sneak out without Elena seeing him. He stopped abruptly when he noticed her withering gaze.

"Oh no! You are not leaving this house!" Jenna moved to stand between her niece and the elder Salvatore. "You have so much explaining to do! How long have you known that Isobel was alive? She said she's met you? And you!" She spun on her heel as Alaric was transferring Isobel to Damon. "How long have you known about this? And you said that there are other vampires? Where? Here?"

"Yes," Elena stated simply. "Here, in Mystic Falls. Here, in the house." Jenna's eyes widened as she scanned her companions. "Damon, Stefan… And there's other stuff too, Jenna; things that you really need to know about." She tried again to move closer to the older woman, who was now edging away from Damon.

"I'll be going then," the vampire announced, readjusting Isobel over his shoulder and turning to the still-open door.

"Damon! Just… Stop moving!" At Elena's command, Damon spun around, inadvertently knocking Isobel's head on the door. "Ric, what did you do to her?"

All eyes were on the history teacher, and he shrugged. "She threatened Jenna, so I shot her a few times with vervain."

"Good job," Damon smiled, but then he caught Elena's eyes again, and he silenced himself.

For a full minute, everything was quiet: Jenna was red and her gaze alternated from Alaric to Elena; Elena was staring hard at Damon, keeping him rooted to the spot; Alaric was watching the latter two with calculating eyes.

"Jenna," he murmured, "Let Elena go for now. She'll be safe with Damon, and I'll explain everything to you. Plus," he raised his voice a little, "Jeremy's hiding in the kitchen and he can fill in some blanks too. Elena will answer any other questions that you have when she gets back."

Jenna opened her mouth to say something else, but seemed to think the better of it. Instead, she stormed into the kitchen, and started tearing into Jeremy.

"Thank you," Elena whispered to Alaric. He smiled at her, and then followed his girlfriend into the kitchen. The younger girl met Damon's eyes and nodded. "Let's go."

With a sigh, Damon followed her, banging Isobel's head into the door once more for good measure.

* * *

Elena was buckled into her seat in Damon's car by the time he had deposited Isobel in the back seat, which left him very few options as far as getting rid of her. It wasn't so much that he didn't want her around; quite the opposite in fact. But unfortunately, he had to go and visit Katherine, and he didn't want Elena exposed to her doppelganger's vitriol any more than she had to be.

"I assume that whatever you have to do, it's in Mystic Falls?" Elena offered tentatively, seemingly nervous that she had overstepped.

"Yes," he grunted, determined to freeze her out for putting him in this position. He had been distracted by Ric and Jenna's sudden appearance, but he knew that he was frustrated with Elena for something. Now, what was it again? Oh yeah… "You do realize that you started it, right?"

Elena blinked at him a few times, and then frowned in confusion. "Come again?"

He smirked at her. "You flew all the way to Alaska to have sex with me, and you're accusing me of only wanting you for your body?"

She reddened. "I went up for the whole weekend. We did… other stuff."

Damon chuckled, his eyes flitting over to her every few seconds. "Yeah, because we did so many other things." When she didn't respond, he sighed, and his tone softened. "Look, I don't do this sappy kind of talking stuff very often, but I thought that I made it clear how I feel about you."

Elena opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a long, low groan from the back seat.

"What the fuck?" Isobel croaked.

Damon smirked and glanced in the rear view mirror. "Glad to see you're awake. And by glad, I mean 'What were you thinking?' We're supposed to be in and out, not visit old flames."

The vampiress made a show of looking from Elena to Damon at that point. "Oh yeah, then what is Elena doing here? Did she just jump in the car at a stop sign?"

Elena had been looking out the window, frowning. "We're on our way to the tomb?" Damon nodded. "Well then, you'll need me anyways, if you expect to get anything from Katherine." The silence in the car was palpable. "What?" she asked, looking around at both vampires.

"I thought that I told you to stay away from that bitch! Have you been visiting her?" Damon asked, putting the car in park near to the tomb entrance.

"Yeah. We've had business to discuss."

Isobel threw herself back in her seat. "You've got to be kidding me… Are you completely insane?"

The daughter turned in her seat with her arms crossed. "No. She can't cross the seal; I'm perfectly safe."

Unnoticed by either of the women, Damon had silently slid out of the vehicle and made his way over to Elena's door. He opened it slowly and leaned in, so when Elena turned to look at him, their noses touched.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Where Katherine is concerned, you are _never_ perfectly safe."

For a moment, as Isobel waited impatiently for them to let her out as well, the couple simply stared at each other. Damon needed Elena to understand; he needed her to know how much he loved her, even though he couldn't say it yet; he needed her to see that he was worried about her, always, no matter how many protective barriers she surrounded herself with. He needed her to see it in his eyes before he had to leave her again.

And then the moment was gone, and Damon pulled back with a hand out, helping Elena out of the car. Isobel followed, and the three of them made their way down into the tomb.

* * *

As soon as she'd heard a car outside of her prison, Katherine had momentarily looked up from the book she was studying and frowned. Stefan wasn't due for a few more days, and Elena didn't usually visit this late at night. She shrugged, and stared back at the tome in her hands. She had finally found the answer she was looking for; or, at least, part of it. She had found the root of the curse anomaly. But what to do with the information?

She heard Damon's voice drift down from the surface, and a minute later three sets of feet made their way down.

"Katherine?" She almost stood up at the sound of Isobel's voice, but then she rolled her eyes. What she had just found out was much more important than whatever problem the dynamic duo could have brought with them. But she was curious about this third person. "We're almost done, Katherine, we just need your help."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "I've helped you enough. You're on your own!"

"Katherine! Come on!" It was Damon this time. "Hurry up and get out here so we can leave already!"

"Then leave!" she responded. "I'm not going to hold your hand and guide you along when it's your fault that I'm trapped here in the first place. You're all grown up. Figure it out!"

There was some bickering between Isobel and Damon then, but Katherine didn't pay attention to that. While they were presumably distracted, their companion had slipped across the seal, and was making their way towards the vampiress' hiding spot. She breathed in, and cocked an eyebrow at the familiar scent. Then Elena turned the corner, and Katherine fought hard to keep the smirk on her face, despite her surprise.

"What happened to not crossing the seal?" she asked, the book sliding out of her lap as she stood up.

Elena smiled gently. "You seemed like you were in a mood."

"And the wisest course of action to you was to approach me? Did you hit your head?"

The young girl laughed. "No, but… I guess I feel like you've become sort of an ally. Don't worry though," she grinned, "You still scare the hell out of everyone."

Katherine nodded, satisfied, but froze when she saw her descendant's outstretched hand. She glanced at the girl questioningly, but only received an encouraging quirk of the lips in response. Without making contact, the elder stepped forward, only chancing a brief glance at her discarded notes.

"Would you trust me with your life?"

Elena thought for a moment. "Not yet. But I think we're getting there."

With a slow nod, Katherine evaluated the answer, and then shrugged.

"ELENA!" Damon shouted. "Oh for –"

"Go," Katherine pushed the younger girl toward the entrance, "I'll be out in a second."

True to her word, she scribbled a note, tucked it in the pocket of her jeans, and followed her doppelganger to the seal.

* * *

The business portion of the evening went by rather smoothly. Isobel and Damon had hit a dead end when the only person with a key to the dagger didn't believe that Katherine had sent them. Since no one could know what they were up to, and there was no cell reception in the subterranean prison, they'd had to double back to collect a vile of Katherine's blood as proof that they had her backing. With only mild snarkiness, Katherine had insisted that it be Isobel who collect the blood, and once that was finished, the group left. Damon had turned on his heel and stormed out, Elena had smiled and waved, and Isobel had lingered for a moment, sharing a significant look with her ancestor. Then the three were gone, and Katherine was left to her own devices again, wondering if she had done the right thing.

It was a quiet and awkward ride back to Elena's home. There was still so much unsaid between her and Damon, but neither was willing to broach the subject with Isobel in the back seat. When they arrived at their destination, Elena hesitated, before glancing back at her mother, murmuring "Whatever" and throwing her arms around Damon, kissing him passionately. The recipient of the kiss wasted no time in allowing his hands to roam all over the body in his arms. Then, Elena pulled back, and without another word, she was gone.

As Damon, who was smirking in a satisfied sort of way, was driving Isobel back to her car, the woman glanced over at him and scowled.

"You are such a dick."

"Yeah," he sighed, "I am awesome like that."


	20. The Whole Story

**A/N: In order…**

**1. I've been rewatching season one for research on a story I'm thinking of doing, and I noticed that the Mystic Falls Cemetery is dated 1792. Wasn't Mystic Falls established in 186-something?**

**2. Am I the only one who did not get that Vicki was older than Matt?**

**3. I generally try to avoid retreading exposition from the show in my stories. If you're reading this, you've probably seen every episode at least once, so why bother. But I did it a bit here to get some reactions from the characters, so there's my justification.**

**4. I'm claiming artistic license on the modified dance theme.**

**5 I am no longer sick, so updates should be back to the typical 3-ish per week. I hope.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

"Alright!" Jenna exclaimed the Saturday morning, slamming a notebook down on the kitchen table in front of the two still-sleepy adolescents eating their breakfast. "So Ric covered the Salvatore's, Anna and her mother, the real story of the Battle of Willow Creek," she paused to consult her notes, "Logan Fell, which, hey thanks for that by the way!" Elena opened her mouth, but her aunt continued. "Isobel and John, Jeremy's ring… I think that's about it. So," she slammed the book shut and glared at her niece and nephew, "Do we have anything to add?"

Elena and Jeremy stared at each other for a moment before the boy spoke. "We love you?"

Jenna snorted. "Yeah, okay… Elena?"

The younger girl's expression grew serious. "Look, Jenna, what I'm about to tell you is really dangerous. This is why we've decided to tell you now." She paused for effect and to evaluate the other woman's expression.

"How much did Ric tell you about the doppelganger?"

* * *

Across the country, hidden in the glove compartment of a car with new spark plugs, was a note. And it read,

"Elijah lying about curse. Elena in danger. End him."

* * *

As is wont to happen in the lives of the supernatural crew of Mystic Falls, ordinary considerations can overtake their extraordinary worries. In this case, Bonnie, Elena, and particularly Caroline, were excitedly shopping for dresses for their upcoming school dance. Although everyone had expected another Decade Dance, the students had decided instead on a simple spring formal.

Caroline scurried over from the rack and slid between Elena and the dresses in front of her.

"What about this one?" she asked optimistically, proffering what appeared to be a black tube top.

Elena took the hanger and examined the garment. "Yeah, then I can go to work on the corner after."

Bonnie came over to join them just as Caroline spoke again, her expression mischievous. "You know, Damon would probably love it." The blonde winked.

Both other girls rolled their eyes, and Elena spoke. "Damon's still gone. I don't know exactly when he'll be back, so I'm not placing any bets. And as if he'd go to some school dance with me anyways. It's not really a Damon-esque activity unless there's bloodshed."

"Whatever," Caroline scoffed, "We all know that he would do anything for you. But keep on believing that, and have fun going without a date."

"Wait a second," Bonnie interjected, turning toward Elena, "I thought you said that you were going with someone?"

Under the gaze of her friends, Elena reddened. "Yeah, about that… I'm, um… I'm going with Stefan." They both looked shocked, but she cut them off before they could comment. "At the risk of sounding like a snotty bitch, I'm just really tired of the football team bothering me about it, and Stefan offered to be my excuse to say no to the rest of them. And, it's not like he can take his own," she swallowed thickly, "… Girlfriend."

Caroline laughed, and Bonnie grinned darkly. "See, _that's_ a date that would involve bloodshed at a school dance."

After another few minutes of browsing, Elena spoke again. "So who are you guys going with anyway? You made it seem like I was the only one who would have gone dateless."

The witch and the vampire froze, glanced at each other, before both speaking rapidly and at the same time. Elena held up her hand to silence them.

"Whoa! One at a time. Bonnie?"

The girl in question gulped, and then pointed at Caroline. "She's going with Tyler. And if we all remember correctly, Tyler could kill her!"

"Pf, come _on_ Bonnie," Caroline whined, "Elena's with Damon, and he's more likely to kill her anyways." She turned to Elena. "Bonnie's going with Jeremy."

There was silence as all eyes turned to Bonnie, and Elena frowned. "Like, my brother? Are you serious?"

"I was going to tell you!" Bonnie exclaimed. "I was trying to find the right time, and I didn't want you to be mad at me about it!"

"Why would I be mad? I mean, yeah, it's a little weird, but I love you and Jeremy, and if you make each other happy –"

Elena was cut off when Bonnie threw herself into her arms, whispering, "Thank you," repeatedly until she finally pulled back.

"Okay," Caroline said impatiently, "Now can we get back to the dresses?"

* * *

When the girls had finally purchased their ensembles, they made their way back to Elena's house. Given all the recent revelations, Jenna was a little touchy about letting her niece out for extended periods of time, especially on a school night, and the young girl was willing to give her aunt a certain amount of control while she grew accustomed to the new information.

"Hey Jenna!" Elena yelled from the front door.

The older woman came bustling out of the living room, notebook in hand, examining Elena hawkishly to make sure that she was okay. When she appeared to be satisfied, she examined both Caroline and Bonnie, who she hadn't seen since before she found out about everything.

Elena smiled indulgently, and motioned to her friends. "Vampire. Witch."

Jenna scribbled the information in her notebook as the girls shut the door.

"Okay," the elder exhaled, "Lemme see the dresses!"

The four of them pored over the purchases in the living room until Jeremy came home, and stopped short at the sight of Bonnie and Elena, who giggled at his uncomfortable expression.

"I know, Jeremy," she explained, and he relaxed, moving forward to kiss his girlfriend on the cheek.

"So, what'd you buy?" he asked, but Bonnie shoved her dress back in her bag.

"No peeking. You'll see it at the dance. Anyways," she shifted to check her watch, "I need to head home. See you guys tomorrow!" She gave Jeremy a peck on the lips, and left.

Caroline followed, and the rest of the group dispersed.

* * *

After spending the afternoon in full 'girl mode', Elena felt like she needed a time out. Her room was no longer the sanctuary that it once was, given that the protective vampires in her life seemed to treat it as a throughway, and so, after leaving a note for Elijah, she made her way to the place where she currently felt the most relaxed.

When she arrived at the tomb, she spent only a moment at the edge of the seal before taking a deep breath, nodding to herself, and crossing into the cavernous opening. She hadn't made it far before Katherine had her pinned to the wall by her shoulders.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Elena chanced a small smile. "Visiting?"

The vampire dropped her and took a step back. "You've grown way too comfortable around me."

For a second, fear flashed through the younger's eyes, but it was soon quelled. "You haven't been complaining. If you want me to leave…"

Katherine sighed and turned to make her way back into the bowels of her tomb. "No, you can stay, but not for too long. It's a school night." They both sat on the dirty ground and stared at each other for a moment. "Didja bring me anything to eat?"

From her messenger bag, Elena pulled out two blood bags and a magazine. "I don't know what I'll do when Damon's stockpile runs out. Hopefully he comes back soon."

A snort. "Yeah, I'm so sure that's the reason you want him back."

They smirked at each other, and then Katherine pulled a notebook and pen into her lap, and Elena flipped open her magazine, and they were both silent again, until the former let out a loud sigh.

"If I tell you something," she began, not looking up from her notes, "It stays in the tomb, okay? I'll kill you painfully if you tell anyone. Got it?"

Elena nodded stiffly, flipping the magazine and placing on the ground next to her, waiting for the other to speak.

"Are we friends?" Katherine asked, glancing up with a terrified look in her eyes. She seemed, and for good reason, profoundly uncomfortable with just how needy the question made her sound.

The teenager took a moment to reflect, and frowned. "What brought this on?"

"Well," Katherine had gone back to staring at the notebook in her lap, "I was thinking about how, if you, or Damon or Stefan, had gotten stuck in here, there would be a whole crew of people working around the clock to get you out, because they care about you. Clearly, that's not so true of me."

"Then the answer is still no, for now. You're getting there though Katherine, I swear. It's just… That example… You want a friend because they can do something for you, they can help you. But the point is that a friend is someone that you care about, regardless of what they can offer you. Right?"

Katherine answered with a slow nod and a sad smile, and they fell back into silence.

* * *

When Elena got home, Elijah was sitting in his regular spot, skimming through Twilight of all things. She giggled at the sight.

"I think this just might be the funniest thing I've ever seen!" she exclaimed.

"I would ask why," Elijah began, snapping the book shut and replacing it on the book shelf, "But I fear that I wouldn't understand in any case, so I won't waste our time. Did you enjoy walk with Caroline?"

Elena reddened, uncomfortable with her little fib. "Um… Yep. It was… refreshing. Just what I needed."

The Original smiled. "I'm glad. Should I excuse myself while you get changed?" he asked, standing up.

"No, actually, I wanted to talk to you first." Elijah sat back down, and Elena faced him from the bed. "How are you planning on killing Klaus? Because, erm… Bonnie was flipping through some of the Grimoires that she has from her Grams, and she thinks she found some information on a dagger of some kind…"

He held up a hand. "I've been searching for a particular site here in town, where a remarkable amount of witches were burned in the late nineteenth century. It still holds a great deal of power, given the blood that was spilled, and the Martin's should be able to channel enough energy to incapacitate Klaus long enough for me to kill him."

Elena nodded, impressed with his answer, but acutely aware that he had sidestepped her true question. "But wouldn't the dagger be helpful? If we could find it, of course."

To her surprise, her companion froze. She had never seen him speechless before, and it sent a chill up her spine.

"Elena, I must confess something. I haven't been entirely honest with you."

And just like that, her sense of security cracked. She realized in that moment just how much she had come to rely on Elijah. And if he was lying to her, then anything could happen. She and her family and friends were probably all still in danger.

"Oh God…" she whispered, rising to her feet weakly. "Oh God… Elijah, please. Please don't… Oh God, and everyone warned me." She looked at him accusingly. "And I told them all not to worry, that we could trust you!"

Elijah rushed forward and took both her hands in his. "You can Elena. Believe me, this doesn't change the outcome. It is only information that I wanted to keep hidden, that is of little relevance except in understanding the mechanics. And, to be honest, I've become a little embarrassed of it."

Elena searched his eyes. "So I'm okay?" He nodded. "You're not pulling out of our deal?" He shook his head. "Well then, what's wrong with the dagger?"

He took a deep breath and stepped back, motioning for her to reclaim her seat as he sat down. They faced each other again.

"It is true that a dagger exists that could kill an Original vampire. But unfortunately, Klaus is considerably more complex a being that simply an Original. He is a great many things to a great many people, but for the purposes of this conversation, I'll start at the beginning. He started out, in my eyes, as nothing more or less than my brother."

It took a few moments for Elena to wrap her mind about what he just said. "What?"

The Original chuckled. "Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the term you are searching for is 'OMFG'."

"Brother?" Elena exclaimed. "As in 'born from the same parents, grew up together,' kind of brother?"

"Yes, almost. There were seven of us, but Niklaus and I were the closest. And so, as he grew older and more powerful, and he began to systematically hunt down and destroy our family, I originally turned a blind eye. I believed him utterly when he told me he was justified in his actions. It wasn't until later that I realized that all he was after was more power." Elijah's eyes darkened with controlled anger as he remembered some long-ago event.

"To remain on point, there were seven of us, but only six daggers created to keep us in check. Witches, you see, have historically taken it upon themselves to maintain a balance in nature. No matter how strong a creature is, there is always some way to limit them, to allow the continued survival of other species'. But Niklaus… he was different."

"Different how?" Elena asked tentatively.

"After creating six children together, my mother and father drifted apart. My mother fell in love with another man, and became pregnant with his child, her seventh. When my father found out, he was overwhelmed with rage. He… He did horrible things to the other man; things that I would prefer you didn't imagine. He killed him, but was unable to find it in his heart to kill my mother. When Niklaus was born, he tried to kill him too, but was incapable. There was something different about him."

"The other man," Elena began, "What was he? Was he only human, or…?"

Elijah smiled bitterly. "He was a werewolf. My father's retribution against him set off the rivalry between our kinds."

"So, what is Klaus? Is he a vampire or a werewolf?"

There was a moment of silence as Elena prepared herself for an answer she already knew.

"He is both."

"Both," she choked out, but it wasn't a question. It was a fact.

Fear gripped her as she pondered what this could mean: A sadistic, immoral creature with unparalleled strength, and the ability to kill anything with his bare hands. She looked up at Elijah, who was studying her with concern. She tried to imagine what she would do if Jeremy was evil, and a rush of affection came forward for the Original who was risking everything to keep her safe. She wouldn't be capable of killing her brother. And she thought of Stefan and Damon. No matter how violent and toxic their relationship was, they had never been able to kill each other either. Threaten? Yes. But follow through? Never.

She was conscious of the tears in her eyes when she spoke again. "How?"

"After my father failed to kill the infant Niklaus, he went to the witches for answers. They studied the boy, and realized what he was. They wove a spell that would keep his werewolf abilities locked inside, unattainable. He cannot transform, cannot take advantage of the skills inherent to that species. He has always been, however, much more animalistic than any vampire I have ever seen, and he seems to have retained the werewolf's healing capabilities. The dagger would not work because werewolves are impervious to silver, and the blade is wrought of silver."

_The dagger would not work._ The words repeated in Elena's mind, followed by a conversation with Katherine, about Elijah and the dagger:

"_It poses no threat or gain to him._"

"_It could."_

"_I will ensure that it won't._"

So when she met Elijah's eyes again, she imagined clearly what could happen. Damon could bring back the dagger, and someone could use it against Elijah.

With that thought it mind, she leapt from the bed, and paced in front of her window, her phone already dialled and at her ear.

"_This is Damon. Leave a message."_

"Fuck!" she yelled, ignoring Elijah's curious gaze. "Damon, it's me. Forget the dagger, it won't work. Just come home, okay? Something's changed, and you need to leave the dagger where it is. It needs to stay hidden. Just come home!"

She hung up, and turned to meet her protector's gaze.

"I need to be honest about something too."


	21. Electric

**A/N: So, I really should be sleeping right now, since it's 230AM and I have to work at 8AM. But I'm super wired from the trip back from the MMVA's in Toronto, where I saw Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev and Kat Graham in the flesh. Good God they're beautiful!**

**Random bit of off-topic: I'm considering breaking down and joining Twitter. Is anyone out here on Twitter? What do you use it for primarily? Is it worth the trouble of opening the account? PM me with info, if you please.**

**I've been waiting for forever for this chapter, and up until this very moment, I'm still pretty iffy about the ending, so please review and let me know what you think of that. :)**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_So I'm 'bout to make my way down to the floor 'cause I don't think I can hold it back no more. 'Cause you're just mind blowing, hypnotizing, head down to your toes. The way your hair's flowing down your back, watch that body go. It's electric! You're so electric!_

_Electric by Shawn Desman_

* * *

Three nights later, Elijah remained in his usual spot, watching Elena as she slept. She had confessed to him the true nature of Damon's excursion, and while at first he had felt a dull sense of betrayal, as he replayed in his mind the voicemail that she had left with her vampire lover, that sentiment was replaced by something softer and warmer.

He remembered her assuring him that, if the situation were different, he would be on her list of people that she cared about enough to save. It wasn't saying much, he told himself; the girl had a heart larger than the state of Texas, and tended to care about every person (or other being) that she came into contact with. Hell, even Katerina had made her list. But no one had ever bothered to protect him; he had never needed it. And even though it was a moot point, it made him feel elated to know that someone somewhere wanted to keep him safe.

She knew that he could pose a danger to her, and in spite of that knowledge, she had left instructions to have his only weakness hidden, left locked away so no one could use it against him.

How beautiful.

At that moment, his musings were interrupted as the girl turned in her sleep, legs tangling with the sheets, and a soft sigh escaped her lips. He stood and made his way over to crouch next to her bed. In the beginning, before she even knew that he periodically checked in on her as she slept, she never bore the look of peace that is generally connected to sleep. She had nightmares, and her body was always tense from fear.

Tonight, her face was free of frown lines. Tonight, she felt safe. And tonight, Elijah realized in a melancholic way that he could have loved her, once upon a time.

* * *

When Elena woke up the day of the dance, it was to a surprising feeling of excitement. She tried not to analyse it too much, glad for once that she could enjoy just being a teenage girl. Elijah was gone before she opened her eyes, and she went about her morning routine in the usual way.

After she'd showered and dressed, she made her way downstairs for breakfast and smiled at Jeremy, who paused in his inhalation of his cereal to grin maliciously at his sister.

"So, for the record, I was going to tell you about me and Bonnie last weekend."

She had her head in the refrigerator when she answered. "I thought she wanted to be the one to tell me."

"Well yeah," he shrugged, "But I figured it would be payback since I had to listen to you and Damon get it on when he snuck in…"

A clattering noise echoed throughout the kitchen as Elena bumped her head on one of the shelves, and spun on her heel to glare at the boy.

"What are you – I didn't –" She continued spluttering, determined as she was to say something, even though she didn't know what that something was.

Jeremy laughed. "Yeah right. Don't worry, I didn't tell Ric or Jenna. But, y'know, the fact that he followed you down the stairs when they got home made it pretty clear if you ask me."

He got up and made to leave the room, but was blocked off by the newly-arrived John. Both teenagers groaned in unison.

"Don't you knock?" Elena snapped, but the typical bitterness was not evident in her tone.

The elder man didn't move from the entrance, choosing instead to simply lean against the wall. "I seem to recall Grayson and Miranda teaching you manners. I'm not rude to you, and I would appreciate the same courtesy."

Elena flinched at his words, realising that, for once, he was right.

Jeremy looked from his uncle to his sister. "Right, well I'm gonna head to school. See you later 'Lena." He opened the kitchen and turned around. "And, uh, see you around Uncle John."

And then there were two.

"I have school soon," Elena stated in a flat voice.

"I know. I just wanted to stop in, say hi."

He moved into the room proper, and sat at the island. Elena nodded, and turned away to finally finish compiling her breakfast.

"No threats today? No grand scheme? Because," she slid over to sit across from him, "I'm in a really good mood, and it would be nice to have one decent day every once in a while."

John put his arms in the air in a 'surrender' motion. "I have nothing up my sleeve. I've just… been doing some thinking, that's all."

"About?" Elena mumbled, her mouth full of cereal.

"What your Original said. And Stefan. Speaking of, have you heard from Damon in a while?"

She slowly shook her head, frowning. "Why?"

"Because Isobel cut me off, and wanted to know how they were doing."

"Well," she began, moving her now empty bowl into the sink, "They were in town last week, and that was the last I heard from them."

"They were in town?"

Elena snorted. "I guess someone's been burning bridges all over the place. They came, they saw, they left again. But it shouldn't be much longer…" She thought of the voicemail that she'd left for Damon, and tried to quell the panic rising in her gut at the fact that she hadn't heard from him in almost a week.

"It's better off for you. Look," their eyes met, and he stared hard at her, "I don't want you involved with vampires. That's not going to change. I don't approve of many of the decisions that you made in the past year, and I'm going to work hard to keep you safe, whether you like it or not. And no, I do not have a problem seeing the Salvatore's good and dead."

"But, you were right about some things. The way that I've gone about dealing with you isn't very productive, and Isobel probably shouldn't be involved at all. It was her decision to give you up, even if it killed her to do it, and she kept her distance and moved on with her life. She has no right to start trying to make your decisions for you, no matter what her reasoning may be."

Elena opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Stefan Salvatore, who glanced warily between the two before landing a concerned gaze on his ex-girlfriend.

"We okay here?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Does no one knock anymore? Seriously!" Stefan's eyebrows shot up, and she grinned. "I think we're fine." She looked over at John. "But I'm pretty sure he threatened you and Damon though."

Stefan sighed loudly, but his jovial expression cancelled out the effect. "Anyways, I just came by to check the colour of your dress. I need to match my tie."

"Oh, right. Well, it's hung up in the bathroom upstairs if you wanted to go take a look."

He nodded and left the room, leaving John with a confused expression.

"I thought that…" The older man shook his head. "Never mind. Do you want a ride to school?"

Elena's eyes drifted up to where she guessed Stefan was, and then back down to meet her father's. After a moment of reflection, she nodded, and his answering smile made the nervous feeling in her stomach worth it.

* * *

Three days. Three days that Damon had spent in his car. Three days since he had fled from a god-forsaken cave in South America. Three days since he had lost his cell phone in his haste to get gone. Three days since he had received a voicemail from Elena, telling him to get the hell out, and to get the hell home.

It had probably been a very comical scene. He had stood in the cave (and he still had no idea how he had gotten cell reception in there when he couldn't get it on the damned highway), blinking between his phone and the Original-killing dagger in his hand.

A wiser person would have held onto the dagger. A more logical person would have done the same. But he could never be accused of being wise or logical, simply impulsive. And in that moment, he had received a direct order in a pleading tone from the woman that he loved, and all of the wisdom and logic in the world could not have convinced him to act otherwise. He threw the dagger back at the guardian, told him to hide it or destroy it, but keep it out of his, Damon's, hands, and he had run, blurring out of the cave before Isobel could even utter a protesting syllable.

In retrospect, he probably should have waited a moment. Isobel was unpredictable and dangerous, and he had lost his damned phone, so he couldn't even call Elena to tell her not to worry. But he didn't want to stop more than he had to, and he only had to when the police pulled him over for driving 50 mph over the posted speed limit. Some light compulsion generally took care of that problem, but he still resented the extra minute that it took. A minute dealing with a police officer was a minute longer that he would have to wait before gluing himself to Elena's side and never ever moving again.

Three days, and he had finally driven past the 'Welcome to Mystic Falls' sign. He couldn't help but smile; a genuine smile that very few had ever been privy to. He debated between stopping at his house and bathing, or going straight to Elena's.

That was a joke. There was no question; straight to Elena's.

As he was driving through town, he couldn't help but worry that he would have to track her down. What day was it now, in this time zone? Friday, right? Wouldn't she be out with friends? Or maybe Elijah had put her under house arrest (for her own protection of course).

He drove past the high school, and the sheer amount of cars caught his eye. No football… It was late enough on a Friday night, unless they were having a dance or someth-

He slammed the brakes and spun the car, grateful yet again for vampire reflexes that allowed him to avoid whiplash or any similar inconvenience due to his often reckless driving. He slid into the lot, skidded to halt on the sidewalk in front of the main entrance, and was out of the car before the engine had even shut off.

Once inside the school, the pulsing beat of hormone-entrancing music permeated his consciousness, and he knew that this was where he was supposed to be. Or would Elena even be here? Of course she would; her friends would drag her, kicking and screaming. What if she had a date? Stefan had intimated that there were quite a few people interested in asking her out. And why wouldn't they? She was perfect.

Before he could truly ponder these particular dilemmas, he found himself in the gym, scoping out the crowd. He spotted Ric before anyone else, so he hurried over to his friend.

"Whoa," Alaric exclaimed at Damon's sudden appearance, "What the hell are you doing here? Are you back for good this time? What the hell were you doing?"

The vampire wasn't paying any attention, his eyes skimming the throbbing group of sweating teenagers in front of him.

"Is Elena here?"

The teacher frowned. "Yeah, she came with Stefan, but –"

He never finished his sentence as Damon finally spotted his target, and had begun skirting his way through to crowd to get to her. Alaric tried valiantly to follow, but due to his lack of supernatural grace, he found his progress stunted.

Elena was on the dance floor, looking absolutely breathtaking in a strapless burgundy gown that laced up the back. She was dancing freely with a boy; a tall boy, Damon noted with irritation, who appeared to fill out his suit rather nicely. He focused more on Elena, trying to quell the jealousy stirring up in his gut.

There was an electric current running through Damon's body, he was sure of it, and it felt like everything had slowed down for him. His skin was tingling, his heart was beating fast, and his hands were shaking! Elena moved on the dance floor with a grace that belied her age, her hair running loose and wavy down her back, only a few pins holding it out of her face. Sweat was dripping down her back from the exertion of jumping along with the music, and Damon wanted nothing more in that moment than to hold her to him, and to move with her, forever.

The moment he could distinguish her scent among the many, time sped up again, and he slid between her and her partner silently. It took her a few seconds of blinking confusedly before her jaw dropped, and Damon turned to glare at her companion before looking back down at her.

"Oh my God! Damon!" she yelled over the sound system. "You're here!"

He smiled at her, a small smile, before glancing back at the boy again.

"Oh!" she mouthed, understanding his unspoken question. She leaned close to his ear to answer. "He's a friend. And, for the record, he's probably more interested in you than me, if you know what I mean."

Right on cue, the boy edged back around to stand next to couple now locked in a stare.

"Oh… My gawd!" Boy said, "Is this your boyfriend? Gawd he's hot!"

Elena simply giggled in response before sobering and staring hard at Damon.

"You're back?" she asked.

"I'm back."

"For good?"

"For good."

Without warning, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled his lips down to meet hers, hardly waiting a moment to run her tongue along his bottom lip and slide it into his mouth, meeting his in a heated dance of their own. Damon was idly aware of Alaric's murmured, "Holy crap!" before he wrapped his arms around Elena's waist and lifted her slightly.

When they pulled back, she smiled a glowing smile.

"Do you have your car?" He nodded, and she grabbed his hand tightly. "Let's go."

Ignoring everyone else, the whispers of the general populace, Alaric's shocked exclamations, Caroline, Bonnie and Stefan's open stares, the two were gone.

* * *

Isobel wasn't stupid, and she wasn't heartless. She never had been, and she never would be. She was a researcher who prided herself on knowing exactly what she was getting into before she got into it. And so finding herself in a tomb underneath the ruins of Fell's Church in Mystic Falls, Virginia, poised to strike at the heart of the man (Original vampire or no) who dared pose a threat to her daughter, Isobel knew what was to become of her.

She would either miss, and Elijah would end her, no questions asked. Or she would strike true, as he was distracted by Katherine. She would pierce his heart, and as the life was sucked from his immortal body, her life would be sucked from hers.

Either way, she wasn't getting out alive, and she knew it.

"_I love you Elena,_" she thought in her final moments, _"Even if you'll never know it."_


	22. Forever

**A/N: Sorry to disappoint you all, but unfortunately, this is all Delena. I know! I know! You guys don't care about the cute fluff/smut, you just want to know what's up with the plot. But, alas, this is where the story is taking us, so please, keep the complaining to a minimum… Wait, hang on… That doesn't sound right at all! Pretty sure everyone (myself included) is super-pumped to see Damon back.**

**To be honest, there was some other stuff strewn about in here, but it just didn't seem to fit, so it's literally all Damon and Elena (and a teensy bit of Jenna).**

**Shameless self-promotion moment: At the encouragement of my friends (oh peer pressure), I've opened a twitter account. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm gonna do with the damned thing, but I feel like it's a pretty neat opportunity to connect a little more with the ff community. If anyone wants to add me (EDIT: I've been informed that the correct term is 'follow'… yeah, technologically challenged), it's up as SweetWillowTree.**

**And, um, yeah… As a follow up from my weekend, Ian Somerhalder totally had his hands all over Nina Dobrev's waist… They are so dating! (Sorry, had to let my 13 year old self out for a moment to fangirl a little).**

**Enough of that now; on with the show!**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_He said 'Back to forever girl! I hope you enjoyed the weather girl. Now all I want to do is get you outta that sweater girl.'  
She said 'I love the way you flirt. I'm so glad you didn't get hurt! Now let me see you naked  
Without that shirt.'_

_The Sweater Song by Hedley_

* * *

Something had changed. The air felt heavy with words unsaid. And as Elena stared out the window, glancing at Damon from the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but smile in anticipation. The last time she had been in the car with her vampire (_her_ vampire), he had been on the cusp of saying something that she knew was important. And how she needed to hear it.

A few minutes after they'd pulled out of the school parking lot, she'd been overcome with the intense urge to reach across the seat and grasp Damon's hand. She wanted him to look over at her and smile, even though she knew she'd be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy his more aggressive side. It called to her own more possessive tendencies, although that part of herself had yet to truly manifest itself around him, since they hadn't been around many other people together.

And she so wanted to be with him around other people. She wanted to hold his hand, or slip her own into his back pocket while they were walking. She wanted the world to know whose he was.

She sighed, realising that her inner monologue revealed her possessiveness to an alarming degree.

"So, where to?" Damon asked, interrupting her train of thought. "Your place or mine?"

She turned to face him full on. "Yours. If you don't mind…" She smirked at the last part, pulling her cell phone out of her purse to call Jenna. She noted that his hand had tightened on the steering wheel, the skin over his knuckles turning white.

"_Hey Elena! How's the dance going?_"

"The dance was fine. Just a little change of plans though. Damon just got back from his trip, so we're going to his and Stefan's place to talk for a bit."

She still hadn't told Jenna about the change in her relationship (if that's what it was) with Damon, and figured that mentioning Stefan would throw her aunt's suspicions until they could talk.

"_I don't know, Elena… It's dangerous, and –_"

"And I am probably safer with Damon than with almost anyone else, I promise. But could you do me a favour? Just write a note that says 'At Damon's' and throw it on my bed. For Elijah."

Damon grumbled as Jenna answered. "_Yeah, that's still creepy._"

Elena stared at Damon as she spoke. "I know, but it won't be forever. Especially now that Damon's back."

"_Right, like I'm letting your boyfriend sleep over every night. Nice try though._"

Damon glanced over at the phone in shock at Jenna's description of him, and Elena's heart jumped into her throat.

"Jenna, I don't –"

"_Yeah, right. Ric already called in a panic. He's apparently the only person in this town who didn't see that one coming. Just promise me that you'll be safe tonight._"

At that, Damon laughed out loud, and Elena turned bright red and cleared her throat. "Yeah. Vampire. Not an issue. But, um, thanks."

And with that, she hung up the phone, and stared back out the window, trying awkwardly to ignore Damon's continued laughter.

* * *

The house was oddly silent when they entered together, still not touching. Damon wondered why they were acting so strange. This, by far, was not the first time they had ever been alone together. They had seen each other naked a considerable amount of times. And there was no doubt in his mind that in those particular naked moments, Elena had witnessed some pretty funny behaviour out of him, when taken out of context.

The difference now, of course, was that they both had certain expectations regarding the other, although they were both trying to pretend that they didn't.

Damon dropped his suitcase in the foyer and turned to Elena.

"Hungry? I don't know what we have, but I'm sure I could fix something," he offered.

"No, I'm good. Just kind of tired. Unless," she turned away from him to face the front entrance again, "I mean, if you wanted to sleep alone, I could go home…"

She drifted off when he stepped up behind her, placing both his hands on her shoulders and leaning in close.

"You have no idea how badly I do not want to sleep alone," he whispered into her ear. She shuddered, and he smiled. "Upstairs?" She nodded and followed him up.

His room was just as he'd left it, albeit a little dustier. He took a moment to breathe in the scent of home before coming back to the task at hand. He had one last mission to fulfill this evening, and it had absolutely nothing to do killing, daggers, or Originals, and everything to do with Elena.

The girl in question was padding softly around the room, examining his belongings, and he was overwhelmed by a surge of happiness at the fact that she was comfortable, that she was here, and that, at least for the moment, she wanted to be with him.

As he watched her, she made her way all the way around and to the bed where she paused before glancing up at him with mischief in her eyes.

"Damon, do you mind if I do something on the bed?"

He smirked. "You can do whatever you want on the bed." And he waggled his eyebrows for good measure.

"Well," she said, giggling a little, "I don't think it's exactly what you have in mind…"

She never finished the sentence as she climbed up amongst the pillows, stood up, and began jumping. Her hair was floating, and her skirt danced about her legs, and she looked so very _happy_ that Damon knew, without a doubt, that tonight was the night.

She flopped back down on the mattress, face red and chest heaving, but still laughing. He extended a hand to help her out, and she frowned in confusion before accepting the help and sliding back onto the floor.

And just like that, the tension was back, but it didn't bother Damon so much this time. He knew what he was going to do. He leaned in softly and pressed his lips to Elena's, bestowing a short, chaste kiss before pulling back, both her hands clutched in his.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked, and Damon felt a flash of frustration that circumstances had forced her to be so very pessimistic.

"Nothing," he answered, smiling at her. "I just want to talk to you before… anything." She nodded slowly, confused. "The last time I was in town, you accused me of only wanting you for your body."

"I know!" Elena interrupted. "I know, and I'm so sorry that I said that. I don't know what came over me; I've just been so nervous about us, and on edge about everything –"

Damon kissed her again, softly. "It's okay," he murmured against her lips. "I get it. I'm just… not good at this type of thing, Elena, but I am trying." He looked deeply into her eyes, needing her to understand just how much he was trying. Her eyes were boring into his expectantly, and with a deep breath, he continued. "I want you. I want you all the time. But not in the way that… I want to _be with you_ all the time." He dropped her hands, but gripped her shoulders lightly. "I'm in love you."

Her answering smile took his breath away, and when she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him, hard… Well, he could have died right then and been entirely satisfied with his life.

She pulled back and pressed her forehead to his. "Damon, I-"

"Sh." He pressed a finger to her lips. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know it."

"Okay," she giggled nervously, and she lowered herself, flattening her feet on the floor and putting a few inches of space between them. "So, what now?"

He couldn't even help himself now, not even for a second. He pulled her close again, just holding her against his chest. "Mmm… I just want to hold you."

* * *

He loved her. He said that he loved her. And he wanted to be with her all the time. Elena was convinced that she was going to explode with excitement.

Did she love him? As much as she loved most of the people in her life. Was she in love with him? Elijah had asked her the very same thing, and to be truthful, she didn't know. She didn't think that she should know right now. After all, she was still young; and she had recently gotten out of an intense relationship with Damon's brother.

So when she had attempted an answer, and he had cut her off, she couldn't express how grateful she was that he wouldn't let her say anything. She didn't even know what she would have said. And now, all he wanted to do was hold her, but what she wanted from him tonight was something a little different.

Elena shifted in his embrace, trailing her hands down Damon's abs until she reached his belt buckle.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you…" she breathed into his ear.

Without warning, he stepped back, leaving her standing, with her hands outstretched, a perplexed expression on her face. But the confusion was soon replaced with understanding when she met his eyes and evaluated the lustful look he was wearing.

His eyes drifted up and down her body slowly, and she couldn't imagine being more turned on, even if he had been touching her. He looked like he was drinking her in; like she was the finest wine and he wanted to take his time and really tasting her.

When he spoke, his voice was husky, and he started circling her, still keeping his distance. "You have no idea how much I want to make love to you right now."

Elena blinked. 'Make love'? That was new. She smiled, and allowed her arms to drop down to her sides, remaining motionless.

"I want to worship you," he continued, "I want to give you the pleasure that you give me, just by looking at me."

Straight ahead, she could see her reflection in the window, could see him slowly approach her. She could see her flushed cheeks, and her hooded eyes. It reminded her of the first time they had come together, in Alaska, when she had felt completely ravaged even before they had really done anything.

"I'm so happy you're back," she breathed, feeling him slowly untie the back of her dress. "And I'm really happy you showed up at that dance. I was getting so tired of not knowing where we stood." She felt her dress slide down, leaving standing in nothing but her black panties. "Should I stop talking?"

She shuddered as Damon trailed a single fingertip up her spine. "Never stop. I want to know every thought that rolls through your head."

He pressed a feather-light kiss on the back of her neck, and allowed his fingertips to dance down her arms. Elena was watching him in the reflection. He didn't meet her eyes in the glass, choosing instead to stare at her naked back, as though he was memorizing it.

His hands moved back up to her shoulders, then softly down, tickling her collarbone before ghosting down to her breasts. She arched when he grazed over her nipples, taking an involuntary step back and colliding with his chest. Her eyes were still trained on their reflection, his eyes aimed downward, watching the progress of his hands. Her fingers came up to meet his, encouraging him to continue his ministrations on her sensitive buds.

When he got the hint, she gasped at the jolts of pleasure running through her body. Her hands left his to snake behind her and cup his hardened member.

"You're entirely too clothed for this," she moaned.

"Then do something about it," he commanded, although it came out more as a plea.

Obediently, she turned, meeting his eyes and slowly unbuttoning his shirt, taking the opportunity to caress his naked flesh as she pushed it off his shoulders. Their gazes still locked, she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants, allowing them to fall to the ground. And then he lifted her, placing her on her back amongst the soft pillows of his bed. He pulled off his boxers and crawled over her, leaning in to kiss her as his knee made contact with her aching centre.

She moaned into his mouth, and could feel him smile against her lips. When she pulled back, she looked at him with wide eyes, and she could see all of his care and affection reflected in those expressive blue eyes.

"Make love to me," she whispered.

He nodded, and moved down her body to slide her panties down her legs. On his way back up, he allowed himself one kiss on her throbbing clit before covering her torso with his own and capturing her lips again.

Without any further instigation, he positioned himself at her entrance, and they moved their hips together, as one. He slid into her and waited, their eyes meeting again. And then he moved in her, and they never broke their stare, and it was like magic, completely different from every other time they had been intimate. Every sense was heightened, the pleasure running through Elena's veins was filling her up, more than she had ever thought possible. It was like she had been empty her entire life, simply waiting for Damon to come along to complete her.

"It's like…" She needed to say something, anything; but she wasn't ready to say _that_. "It's like I'm on fire, every time you're near me."

He moved to kiss her again, and her arms wrapped around his back, nails digging into his skin. She was desperate to mark him as hers, even if the scratches were only temporary. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her chest to his, as though trying to crawl into his skin.

At the change in angle, he was able to rub against her clit, causing high-pitched whimpers to escape her mouth every few seconds.

"I love you," he groaned against her lips, "God, I love you so much, Elena!"

"Don't stop," she answered, "Never stop. Never leave."

"Not until you send me away."

He didn't give her a chance to respond, speeding up his thrusting and causing her back to bend and her toes to curl. She thread her fingers into his hair, holding his face close so she could alternately kiss him, and cry out into his mouth.

"Yes, Damon!"

She was so close, but didn't want the connection to end. She wanted to feel like this, with him, forever.

Whoa! Wait! What?

Before she could analyse that particular thought, Damon caught her in a bruising kiss, and they came together. He collapsed on top of her, and she held him tightly, arms and legs wrapped around him, irrationally terrified of letting him go. When he tried to move off of her, she only gripped harder.

"Please don't," she whispered.

He chuckled softly. "I don't want to suffocate you."

"I'm not ready to be without you just yet."

With a smile, he nuzzled into her neck, shifting them slightly so he was still inside her, and they fell asleep, intertwined and one.


	23. FWords

**A/N: Argh. This one gave me a hard time, so now it's in two parts. Here is part one; I'm super busy tomorrow, but I'll try and get it up at some point. **

**FYI: I really really love this song! It makes me wanna dance about it my underwear... Which was really awkward that time at the grocery store... ahem... Anyways! **

**I have a goal. And that goal is to reach 100 reviews with this story. That's only 15 more, people! Come on! :)**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_My Fender strat sits all alone collecting dust in the corner. Haven't called any of my friends; I've been MIA since last December. My BlackBerry's filled up with email; my phone calls go straight through to voice mail. _

_'Cause on the street, or under the covers, we're stuck like two pieces of Velcro! At the bar, in the back of my car; it don't matter what I do, I can't keep my hands off you!_

_Can't Keep My Hands Off You by Simple Plan_

* * *

Katherine hated doing bitch-work. That was the point of having a bitch. But unfortunately, she was currently dragging said bitch along the dirty ground to her (not-so-final) resting place. When Isobel was firmly in place along the back wall, Katherine stood up straight, stretching her back and wiping her hands on her knees.

She took a deep breath, glad to be able to inhale something besides stale tomb air. It probably would have been easier, she thought, to just leave Elijah and Isobel's bodies where they had fallen, or to drag them past the seal and into what had become her stone prison. But she was nothing if not thorough, and she had wanted to keep them hidden until she figured out her next move.

And that though process was causing her a great deal of consternation as well. As she emerged from the darkness, she could see the sun barely peeking over the horizon. She could run, now. She could get the hell out and never look back. She could find some strapping young man, ride him like a stallion, drain him and kill him. Or...

Or, she could go to the boarding house and find Stefan. She could tell him what she'd done. He would take her and hold her and tell her that she did the right thing. No one had ever told her that. She would see Elena, and she would be able to say that she had done this, she had killed her last ally to keep the young girl safe. Maybe then they could be f-

But then she would be bound here, to the small town that was the target of the most dangerous vampire in existence. Klaus would hunt the doppelganger(s) down, Katherine would be dead.

What a choice.

* * *

To her surprise, Elena woke up with a smile on her face. She could never remember having slept with a grin, but here she was, grinning like an idiot. She let her arm reach over to the pillow next to her, and her eyes snapped open when she couldn't feel Damon there. She was on her back, so she turned her head to the side, and exhaled. He was on the opposite side of the bed, on his stomach, facing her. His face was relaxed, as is normal for someone in such a deep sleep, and his mouth hung open, a little bit of drool pooling on the pillow. His arm was the only thing touching her; his hand splayed across her belly.

She tried to sit up, and felt a pain in her hips, probably from having cradled Damon's body to her as she slept. She hadn't been able to let him go after that. She had wanted him f-

She smiled again, slowly coming to terms with the intensity of her feelings. She had time, she decided, to be sure. She never wanted to hurt him again.

Still staring at him in his endearing position, she remembered something else, something that bothered her. She had begged him, during their coupling, never to leave. And he had answered with an expectation that she would someday send him away.

Well. She would have to do something about that, now wouldn't she? She sat up, attempting to stand, but his unconsciously strong arm was holding her down. With a little sliding, she was able to get out, but she indulged herself and watched him for a few minutes, now cuddled to her pillow. She smiled, a little teary-eyed at the innocent image before her, and turned toward the bathroom.

A half-hour later, she was back on the bed, freshly showered and dressed in one of Damon's button-down shirts. He was on his back now, conveniently enough, and she crawled over him until she was straddling his waist.

She leaned down and kissed him lightly on the lips, but garnered little reaction.

_He must have been driving for days!_

For a moment, Elena felt a little guilty for trying to wake him up. But she knew that he would be upset if she just let him sleep the Saturday away, so she redoubled her efforts, kissing his jaw and sucking on the skin of his neck. She felt is faint pulse speed up a fraction, and she bit him lightly. He moaned softly. Her tongue led the way down his neck, and she left wet kisses all the way down his chest and abs, until she was firmly ensconced between his knees.

"Damon," she said softly.

He didn't answer and she smirked, taking his entire length into her mouth. Her tongue teased him, and she bobbed slowly, humming with pleasure. Within a moment, Damon thrust his hips upward, and she heard him groan.

"Elena?" he murmured sleepily.

She pulled back a little and swirled her tongue around his head, making him gasp.

"What are you – Oh God!"

He gripped her head tightly, holding her in place as she continued her ministrations. Her hands were travelling along his torso, and she could feel him tense up more and more as he neared his release. She slid her arms back down, and fondled his balls and he stiffened. She redoubled her efforts, going faster and faster, and he came, shooting his seed down her throat and holding her hair so tightly, she was surprised she had any left.

When she crawled back up his body, she once again straddled his waist, and he gazed at her, breathing hard.

"Good morning," he whispered.

Elena giggled. "Mm hmm..." She lay flat against his chest and kissed him, sliding her tongue into his mouth and smiling at his moan of approval.

His hands came to rest on her hips, and he grunted, pulling away a little. "Why did you even bother to put this on?" She had moved now to kiss down his neck. "You know it's so much better when you're naked."

She sat up again, grinning. "I'm proving a point."

"Oh," Damon answered, putting his hands behind his head and staring at her. "And that would be?"

"Smell me."

He frowned a little. "I can smell you from here; you smell like you're wet," he smirked lewdly, "And my body wash. I like that smell on you."

"And I'm wearing...?"

"My shirt."

She nodded. "Exactly. I needed to show you something, because I'm not ready to say..." She let that drift off before speaking again. "I'm yours, Damon. I'm in it. I'm with you."

Elena waited patiently for him to say something, do something, trying to hide how nervous she was. What if the sentiment wasn't enough to satisfy him until she could say what she wanted to say?

Before she could even blink, she was on her back, Damon's glowing face looming over hers.

"Mine," he repeated.

"Yours," she whispered.

His lips captured hers in a searing kiss, and they became entangled again, the only thing between them being Damon's button-down. But even that looked like it was on the way out, as Elena moved to undo the top. At that moment, her stomach growled, loudly, and they both stopped.

"Hungry?" Damon laughed.

Elena smiled meekly. "Just a little."

"Alright," he groaned, backing up and getting off the bed, "I'll get some clothes on, and go make you someth-"

"No!" Damon's head whipped around, shocked at her exclamation. "I want to go to The Grill." She waited for his reaction, but he was still staring at her like she was crazy. She looked at her hands, blushing. "I just... I want people to see us... Together."

When Elena met his eyes again, he was smiling, but seemed like he was trying to hide his amusement.

"Your choice," he began, "But I don't know what you plan on wearing..."

"Oh," she murmured, looking down at her discarded dress, "Yeah..."

* * *

"Wow!"

Damon bumped into Elena as she froze in the foyer of her house. The couple turned slowly in the direction of the living, spotting Jenna and Alaric seated on the couch, staring at them.

"You are making, like, zero effort here, Elena," Jenna prodded with laughter in her eyes.

The vampire had no choice but to agree with the older woman. Elena currently had her dress and shoes slung over one arm, and was clothed in a pair of Damon's sweatpants and one of his t-shirts. She had dug out a pair of flip flops from the boarding house, and threw those on her feet, causing her to shuffle to avoid the footwear coming off. They had hoped that the house would be empty as she snuck up to get changed.

Jenna's voice interrupted his musings. "I kind of want to take a picture to chronicle your Walk of Shame."

"Oh," Elena grumbled, "Shut up!"

And with that, she bolted up the stairs and to her room.

With nothing better to do, Damon waltzed into the living room and sat down opposite the other two, drumming his fingertips on the arm of the chair.

Ric was the first to speak. "So, did you do what you needed to do?"

Damon's eyebrows skyrocketed. "What?"

"Oh!" the teacher exclaimed, "No! I meant... When you were gone... Did you finish whatever you needed to do?"

"For all intents and purposes, I guess."

Jenna leaned back into the couch and folded her arms across her chest, looking distinctly mischievous. "So you just rushed back to violate my niece?"

Damon blinked, then...

"ELENA! WE'RE LEAVING!"

* * *

Wearing her own skinny jeans and t-shirt, Elena led the way into The Grill, an annoyed Damon in tow.

"She was just trying to throw you off. I think the whole," she paused, looking around and lowering her voice, "'vampire' thing still freaks her out, so she's trying to figure out her limits with you." She turned and walked backwards, holding Damon's hands in her own. "And I'm glad that she's cool with it. I was worried that it would be a big fight. Don't you think we have enough on our plate right now?"

At that, Damon softened a little. They sat down in a booth, and he rolled his eyes. "Fine, but she'd better knock it off with the 'violate my niece' thing. I'm making an actual effort to be a good person here." He pouted, and Elena giggled. "Yeah, right... Laugh it up, and we'll see how often you're violated from now on."

He waggled his eyebrows, and she couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sorry. I think it's just that I was so nervous about you being back. I'm glad it's going smoothly so far." She got up from her side of the table and slid in on his side, practically crawling into his lap. "And I don't remember complaining about being 'violated'," she whispered against his ear.

He shuddered at the feel of her hot breath against his neck. It took everything in him not to blur them back out to the car and take her in the backseat. Just as he turned to capture her lips, a grating voice interrupted them.

"Ew! Get a room!"

They both turned just in time to see Caroline and Bonnie sit down across from them. Much to his surprise, instead of backing off, Elena got even closer, shifting so she was literally sitting in his lap. He tentatively wrapped his arms around her waist, and she covered his hands with her own.

"Hey guys," Elena said in a clear voice, "What's up?"

Damon snorted, and whispered in her ear, "I can tell you what's up."

In another surprising move, she simply wiggled her hips a little, rubbing her backside against his groin. He practically jumped out of his seat.

"Right," he said in a forced tone, "I'll let you guys do the girl talk thing. I have to go call Stefan."

Elena got up to let him out, and he had never been so glad that he had some sort of control over himself. As he rounded the corner and was out of sight, he slid his cell phone out of his pocket. She wanted to play dirty? Well so could he.

* * *

Caroline and Bonnie eyed Elena expectantly as Damon sauntered off, but she was too distracted by him to notice until he turned the corner and disappeared. She met their eyes, and sighed.

"Yes?"

The blonde giggled. "Have a good night last night?"

Elena leaned back on the bench. "I'm not even going to deflect that one. Yes, it was wonderful. And since you guys are here, you're going to have to deal with all of my girly gushing about it."

She started with the departure from the dance and went through the entire evening, in detail, until her phone buzzed.

"Hang on a second, it's probably Elijah."

It was a text message from Damon. "_Didn't I say something about the bathroom at The Grill? You have two minutes before I come and get you._"

She cleared her throat, feeling her eyes widen. "Um, yeah, it's Elijah. I didn't see him last night, because of Damon." She stood up. "I just need to call him back. I'll just be a minute." As she started walking away, she turned again. Might as well make this good. "Actually, if he's in a pissy mood, it could be a little longer. When Damon gets back, let him know where I went. And please be nice?"

Her friends nodded, but she was gone before they could say anything.

The second she shut the door to the ladies room, she found herself lifted off her feet and seated on the bathroom counter, Damon already standing between her legs, his lips pressed to her throat.

"You are such a tease," he growled.

"Door... Mmm... Lock the door!"

He was gone and back before she even registered the movement. And then her hands were on his shirt, but he stopped her before she got it over his head.

"We're on the clock here, baby."

She closed her eyes and felt him yank off her shoes, followed by her jeans and panties. "Baby? You keep calling me that..."

Her eyes popped open when she felt his breath on the inside of her thighs. "Are you complaining?"

Their eyes met, and she shivered at the sight of him on his knees in front of her. She shook her head. "Nope, just curious."

He shrugged, and then smirked. "Hold on to the counter."

"What are you – Oh God!"

He hadn't hesitated; choosing instead to dive right in, entering her with his tongue. She gripped the edge of the counter with one hand, the other knitting into his hair. He moved up, sucking on her clit and thrusting two fingers inside of her.

"Ah!" She let go of his head and shoved her fist into her mouth, trying to keep herself quiet. "Oh my God! Yes! Just keep... Ah!" He quirked his fingers to stimulate her G-spot, and his tongue flicked her clit rapidly at the same time.

He wrapped an arm around her back, trying to keep her steady as she bucked her hips against his face.

"What do you want?" he asked huskily, the vibrations taking her even higher.

"Harder," she moaned, "Faster... Harder..."

Obediently, he added a third finger, and she nearly fell back into the mirror. Her hand came down to fist into his hair again, and he sped up. She could feel her inner walls fluttering, and she pressed him even closer.

"So close..." she whispered.

A moment later, she came. Damon kept moving inside of her, prolonging her pleasure, and lapping up her juices. She slumped back against the mirror as her body shuddered. And then he was up, pulling her into his arms, and she burrowed into his shoulder.

"I hope you never get tired of this," she mumbled.

He chuckled. "I really really doubt that I ever will."

"Hm..." She pulled back, and made to hop off the counter. "I told the girls that I was going to call Elijah, so you should head back. And please be subtle."

He smirked at her as he backed away. "Caroline will be able to smell you on me."

Elena frowned. "That's... really disturbing." She bent to grab her jeans, and spun in a circle. "Where did you throw my underwear."

She looked up at him, and he held up a hand, her panties in his palm. As she moved to grab them, he thrust his hand into his pocket and disappeared out the door.

* * *

A while later, as the couple were leaving the restaurant, they bumped into Luca Martin rushing in.

"Oh thank God!" he exclaimed upon meeting Elena's eyes. "Have you seen Elijah today? We were supposed to go to that burning ground, he said he found it, but he's hours late, and my dad and I can't get him on his cell phone."

Elena frowned and thought back. "No. I haven't talked to him since Thursday night before I went to sleep, and he was gone when I woke up. Jenna left a note for him on my bed, since I was out. It was still there earlier, but I didn't think anything of it."

Her breaths started coming on fast, and Damon placed a calming hand on her lower back. "Need I remind you kids that he's an Original. He's unkillable. He probably just went out on the town, since he didn't need to babysit you," he looked at Elena, "And he's recovering from an Original-sized hangover."

His comment had the desired effect, as Elena calmed down a little, and even giggled. "Yeah, that's probably it." She looked back at Luca. "If I see him, I'll make sure to have him call you."

Damon and Elena left, but Luca still wore a distinctly worried expression.


	24. Resuscitate

**A/N: How is it that every time I plan to have an event done in one chapter, it becomes four. Ugh. For the record, the last chapter, this one, and (as far as I can tell) the next two all happen on the same day. Yeah, it's a long effing day.**

**That being said... Yay! Closer to 100 reviews but still not there yet. And also, if you're following me on twitter, could you just drop me a line to let me know who you are. I'm aware of two so far, but I'm just trying to figure out who's FF, and who's following me because one of my best friends is apparently some kind of internet celebrity. Yeah...**

**Still trying to figure out how far to go in the next chapter, because, fair warning, Damon's gonna be pissed about something. So, it may take an extra few days before I post.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_And right now there's a steel knife in my windpipe. I can't breathe; But I still fight while I can fight._

_..._

_I suffocate. And right before I'm about to drown, she resuscitates me._

_Love the Way You Lie by Eminem feat. Rihanna_

* * *

In the passenger seat of Damon's car, Elena was fidgeting, alternating between staring out the window with a panicked expression, and flipping through her phone, checking for a missed call. She jumped when Damon reached over and took her hand.

"What's wrong?" he murmured.

"I -" she took a deep breath, "I lied to Luca. Elijah isn't fine, I know it. He would have checked in with me this morning. He's taken overprotective to a whole new level, Damon. He hasn't let me out of his sight for more than twelve hours at a time in... weeks, maybe longer."

He thought about that as they headed back to the boarding house. Then, Elena jerked, and turned to face him.

"Oh my... Damon, what happened with the dagger? Did you end up finding it?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I had it in my hands when I got your message. I threw it back to the guardian and told him to get rid of it."

Silence. Then, "Was Isobel still there?"

More silence.

"Fuck."

* * *

They burst into the house, Elena cursing into her cell phone.

"Dammit! Isobel! It's Elena. Call back NOW!"

She hit the 'End' button, put the handset back into her pocket and turned to face Damon. But before she had a chance to say anything, there was a low booming sound from up the stairs, in the direction of Stefan's room. The couple frowned at each other, and then Elena followed Damon up the stairs.

They didn't bother knocking, just shoved the door open... And profoundly wished that they had knocked.

Stefan had Katherine up against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist. They were both still, thankfully, wearing underwear, but from the direction that the elder doppelgangers hands were going, even those articles would be disappearing soon enough. At the sound of the door slamming open, however, they froze and turned in unison toward the doorway. Katherine leapt down from around Stefan, and smiled.

"Hello Elena, Damon."

"What are -?" the younger spluttered, "How did you -? What the hell is going on?"

Stefan had hurriedly thrown his clothes back on, and was now holding out Katherine's clothes to her, running his free hand through his hair. "Yeah, we should probably talk," he mumbled.

"How are you out?" Elena asked the other woman.

Katherine shook her head, her dark curls bouncing around her head.

"It doesn't matter. I did it to keep you safe."

The younger girl let out a sceptical laugh. "How? By giving me another vampire bodyguard? Did Elijah let you out? Have you seen him?"

To everyone's surprise, Katherine looked nervous, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"He was lying to you," she offered finally. "I had to do _something_ to keep you safe." She looked distinctly unimpressed with her own actions, as though she was still confused as to why she would do such a thing.

"Lying to me?" Damon kept trying to place himself between the two doppelgangers, but Elena pushed around him. "And what was he supposedly lying about this time, hm? Because it seems to me that every other day, someone else is accusing me of blindly trusting Elijah. But every time I tell him about that, he explains exactly what they were referring to. So please, Katherine, tell me what was so important that you had to get out, and have him -"

She choked, unable to put into words what she suspected Katherine had orchestrated.

"It's about the curse. There was an anomaly." When Elena still didn't look impressed, her ancestor continued, ignoring the Salvatore's completely. "The grimoires referred to a curse about a vampire and werewolf creature... I had to translate it myself, so the wording's a little shaky... But nothing about a curse on vampires and werewolves, as species'."

Elena was breathing hard now, and she opened her mouth a few times to speak, before clamping her jaw shut and pursing her lips. When she finally collected her thoughts, her voice was tight, barely concealed frustration escaping in her tone.

"And how long have you known about this?"

Katherine took a few steps forward, staring at her descendant with a look on her face that was usually reserved for Stefan.

"I didn't want you to worry any more than you already were. You told me that I was powerful, even in the tomb. So I did what I needed to do to keep you safe."

Elena wasn't having any of it. "How long... Have you known?"

"Since right before Damon and Isobel came to get my blood."

The young girl took a few solid steps forward, but Katherine didn't back away. They were practically nose to nose as Stefan and Damon looked on, surprised looks on both of their faces.

"Now here's the big question: Where is Elijah?"

Katherine snorted. "Sure, like I would just tell you that. I did the right thing here. Am I the only one who sees that." She stopped and pointed at Elena. "You told me that it had to be selfless; well it was. I had him taken out of the picture to protect you, because despite my better judgement, I've started to actually like you. And besides that, he'll kill me if we go get him. And I don't want to die."

"Neither do I!" Elena yelled back. "And he's our best chance at getting out of this! So I'm going to ask one more time: Where is he?"

* * *

As the four of them made their way out the front door, they were halted by the sudden and unexpected arrival of John Gilbert. He looked between Elena and Katherine with an odd look on his face. He looked exceptionally excited regarding the former, and positively hungry when his gaze fell on the latter.

"John?" Elena asked, forcing his eyes to meet hers. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

He smirked, an unfamiliar expression. "Not at all. I just went by the house, and Jenna said you might be here. I wanted to have dinner tonight."

"Oh," she responded in surprise. She glanced over at Damon, who shrugged. "Well, we're on our way to take care of something now, but I can give you a call when we're done, and Damon and I will meet you somewhere." Her voice was hard on the last part, letting him know that the vampire's presence was non-negotiable.

He only faltered for a moment, his eyes scanning the elder Salvatore, before he nodded. "Sounds excellent, Elena. I look forward to hearing from you."

At that, the group darted forward again, Stefan's hand wrapped around Katherine's forearm, so he was all but dragging her toward his car.

"K, bye!" Elena called back to John, already moving toward Damon's car.

As the vehicles disappeared down the road, the group missed the malevolent grin that overtook John's face.

* * *

Gut instinct seemed to be what Elena was going on a lot of the time. A few months ago, her outburst at Katherine would never have happened; she would have been too terrified. The idea of saving Elijah, which the elder doppelganger had assured was possible, would never have crossed her mind; no matter her personal affection for the Original, she would have left the major planning, albeit grudgingly, to older, more experienced, minds. But now, she had seen some success in acting according to her first reaction; she had turned both aforementioned vampires from potential enemies into allies, she had solidified her relationship with Damon, and she had averted an absolute disaster where Stefan was concerned.

This instinct had pushed her to retell Elijah and Klaus' story to Damon on the ride. He hadn't said anything, simply processed the (admittedly) unbelievable tale that Elena was reiterating.

And so, upon their arrival in a cave hidden deep behind the waterfall for which her hometown was named, she acted according to her initial and most basic thought process, which was...

"No," she whispered. She spun on her heel and came face to face with Katherine. "You _killed_ him! But you said... No, there has to be a way!" She grabbed on to the other woman's shirt, not in a threatening manner, but in a pleading way. "You have to fix this. It was a mistake!"

Damon stepped forward and pried her off, and it was at that moment that she saw the limp form of her mother slumped against the wall of the cave a few feet over from Elijah's stabbed body.

"What," Elena muttered, overwhelmed and with tears in her eyes, "What – What – What the fuck happened?"

Katherine took that as her cue to safely speak.

"When Isobel and Damon came down to the tomb, I passed her a note to kill Elijah because he was lying to you. She knew the risks; she'd done the research. It's unnatural for a vampire to kill one of its own, so any vampire who uses the dagger to kill an Original dies. She got the dagger, and we got Elijah down into the tomb. While I was talking to him, she stabbed him in the heart. They both died."

It was the most straightforward statement that she had ever made, and it had as a consequence to cause Elena to collapse against Damon's chest. Stefan twitched and almost moved towards her, but seemed to remember himself and remained where he was, behind Katherine, still holding her arm.

"But," Katherine said slowly, "The trick with Originals is that they really are immortal. He only stays dead as long as that dagger is in his chest. So go ahead, pull it out, and I'll be dead before he even takes his first breath." Dramatically, she shut her eyes, as though expecting an immediate death-blow.

Elena rolled her eyes at Katherine's flair, but jumped when Damon tugged on her arm. She turned to meet his eyes.

"Look, Elena, maybe we should think about this. You said it yourself... If Elijah and Klaus really are brothers, what are the odds that, when it really counts, he'll come through for you? How many times have Stefan and I been at each others throats, but we're still standing." She frowned and tried to pull away, but he held fast. "I just don't think you should invest so much in him."

She succeeded in taking a few steps away, looked around at her companions and saw doubtful expressions on all of their faces. "I promised him. I promised him that if circumstances were different, then I would protect him. And you three are the last people who should be lecturing me about this. I've taken a chance on trusting each of you..." She let her eyes linger on Katherine before continuing. "And you've all proven me right, no matter how many people doubted me." She turned back to face Damon. "Please... Let me do this."

The atmosphere was tense as all eyes fell to Damon. Much as Katherine (and thus Stefan) had a stake in Elena's actions, they all knew that she would only listen to Damon, if she chose to listen to anyone at all. Slowly, he nodded, but kept his eyes on the floor, as if he didn't want to see what would happen next.

Elena didn't waste time, turning immediately and making her way over to the (temporarily) dead Original, kneeling next to him. With a final glance over her shoulder at the scowling Damon, wincing Katherine and anxious Stefan, she reached forward and tugged the dagger out of his chest.

* * *

Brief interlude of unrelated text messages:

Bonnie: This whole Damon + Elena thing is weird, right? Im not just being a biotch?

Caroline: Dont wanna talk bout it

Bonnie: Cuz you dated him first?

Caroline: Dont wanna talk bout it

Bonnie: I guess I cant judge since Im dating Jer

Caroline: I COULD SMELL HER ON HIM AFTER THEY MADE PHONE CALLS AT THE GRILL! I NEVER WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN!

Bonnie: ... thats gross

Caroline: STFU

* * *

For a single, heart-stopping moment, nothing happened as Elena sat back on her heels with the dagger in her hand. Then, all at once (or so it seemed to her), quite a few things happened.

Elena blinked and she was slammed into a wall. Half a second later, she fell to floor. Damon had Elijah pinned down, the latter growling at and shoving the former.

"Katerina!" the Original yelled.

"Damon!" Elena yelled. She stood up and put a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Let him go! Elijah, look at me... I'm Elena!"

The elder Salvatore paused for a moment, then blurred up, standing defensively between his girlfriend and the dangerous vampire in the centre of the cave. Katherine was edging along the stone, but Stefan held her still, muttering at her.

"Nope," Stefan said, "You made this mess. You clean it up."

Elijah stood up, and his face fell back into the calm expression that Elena was used to seeing.

"Elena?" he asked tentatively. When she nodded, he turned on his heel and he glared at Katherine. "And here's the culprit."

He stepped toward her slowly, and she redoubled her efforts to pull away from Stefan, who was trying to stand between her and Elijah, if only she would stop moving. As she evaluated the situation, Elena ran to the Original and managed to get in front of him, placing her hands on her shoulders.

"No! No no no! Elijah, it was a mistake! She thought she was protecting me! Isn't that what you wanted? People to protect me?"

His eyes flitted down to her, then back to Katherine, and his pupils dilated in the telltale sign of upcoming compulsion.

"Oh no!" the younger girl exclaimed, unable to do anything but bring her hand up to cover his eyes in a ludicrous attempt to keep him from compelling anyone.

He stopped moving, and his lips quirked a little. "Elena... What are you doing?"

"Compelling her got us into this, along with a few other mistakes. She's here; she wants to help. Can't we just end this?"

She split her fingers enough to peek into one of his eyes, and when she saw that they were back to normal, she brought her hand back down to his shoulder and continued speaking, her eyes filling with tears of frustration and despair.

"We can't afford to keep fighting amongst ourselves, and keeping secrets," she turned to face Katherine briefly, "And not telling people when they think they've stumbled upon crucial information." She turned back to Elijah and crumbled a little, leaning into him as he wrapped his arms around her. "Everyone wanted me to fight, and I'm trying, but I can't fight my friends too."

Unseen by Elena, Katherine twitched a little at that, an unbidden smile curving her lips.

Elijah held Elena for a long while, her rapid breathing the only sound in the cave. Then he pulled away, and Damon rushed in to grab her and pull her towards him.

"You," the Original growled, pointing at Katherine, "Have seven seconds to disappear from this cave before I change my mind." Obediently, she blurred out. "You," he pointed at Stefan now, "Will keep a close eye on her. If she _ever_ so much as _thinks_ about threatening me again, her head will be ripped from her shoulders before you could so much as register the action. Clear?" Stefan nodded stiffly and followed Katherine out.

"Thank you," Elena whispered.

Elijah turned to her now, shaking his head. "No, thank you. For saving my life." He held his hand out, and Elena handed him the dagger.

"I promised you," she said with a small smile, "I told you that I would protect you."

"Yes, you did," he acknowledged. He shifted his focus to Damon now. "I have a prior appointment with the Martin's that I believe I am now very late for. Elena, I will see you later. Damon, I look forward to working with you soon."

And with that, he was gone.


	25. Hands Off

** A/N: Had this chapter finished; website wouldn't let me upload anything. Ugh.**

**So this one seems to have a little bit of everything. It's a turning point as we barrel toward the end of the fic.**

**Along with this, I am posting what is quite possibly the worst one-shot in history. Honestly, I was trying to write the beginning of this chapter while sitting in an elementary school. When you read it, you'll understand why I wasn't able to do it. So, to keep myself occupied, I put out the dumbest little drabble I've ever written. It's called 'California Dime' if you feel so inclined.**

**Also, I'm putting up the first chapter of a little random fic that I've started. I can't imagine it would be more than 7-10 chapters, but we'll see. It's called 'The Sharp Knife'.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_And we fall back into the same patterns, same routine. But your temper's just as bad as mine is, you're the same as me. When it comes to love, you're just as blinded._

_Love the Way You Lie by Eminem feat. Rihanna_

* * *

Damon was trying. He was really, legitimately, valiantly trying. He refused to fuck this up after only being back for one day. But unfortunately, he had underestimated the effect that being around Elena, acknowledging their relationship, would have on him. He had always been a possessive man, even when he was only a man. Becoming a vampire had only added fuel to that fire, making him more territorial and easily jealous.

And seeing Elijah wrap his arms around _his_ Elena, and comfort her like it was the most normal thing in the world, had set off within Damon himself a chain of emotions that he was having a hard time controlling.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked quietly from the passenger seat. They were heading back to the boarding house to get ready for their dinner with John.

"Nothing," he practically growled.

"Then why are you trying to kill the steering wheel?"

He looked down, and noticed his knuckles turning white.

"It's fine Elena. I'm working on it."

"Oh," she murmured, unconsciously sliding toward the door and staring out the window, "Okay."

It was quiet then, and Damon found that he couldn't take it anymore.

"You and Elijah seem awfully chummy."

Elena turned to face him, her eyebrow cocked. "Are you serious right now?"

He looked at her. "Yes."

She sighed. "He's a friend. I made a commitment to keep him safe, just like he's committed to keeping all of you safe."

"I understand _that_. What I don't understand is why it was necessary for you to be all over him."

"I can't -! You've been back for less than twenty four hours, and you're already playing the jealous card?"

Damon hit the brakes, hard. "I am not jealous. I would just like to know what I'm setting myself up for. You moved on from Stefan, who's pretty much Vampire 101 at this point, to me. Elijah would be the next logical step, and I don't want -"

He was interrupted by Elena slapping him. "Try and get your head screwed on straight for five seconds. Do you remember what I said to you this morning?" She said the next part slowly. "I'm yours. What do I need to do for you to believe that?"

She slumped back in her seat, and Damon rubbed his jaw, letting the car roll onwards.

* * *

"Do you find him attractive?" Damon asked after a few minutes of silence. Elena glared, but the vampire persisted. "Answer the question, truthfully: Do you find him attractive?"

"I – Well, yeah, I guess." It was the truth; he was a perfectly attractive guy, even though she had never felt anything more than friendship for him.

"Are you attracted to him?" Damon asked through gritted teeth.

Elena shook her head. "No."

"When you close your eyes, do you imagine him on top of you?"

"What? No!"

"Do you imagine him inside of you?"

"Damon, I -"

He turned to look at her. "Answer the question." It was an order, but she could detect a small amount of pleading in his tone. Damon needed to know that she wanted him, and only him.

"No, I do not. When I close my eyes, the only person I see is you."

She stared out the window, noticing, but not really caring, that they were driving around in circles. She could still feel Damon's frustration radiating off of him,and she was suddenly gripped by the irrational curiosity about what angry sex with a vampire would be like.

_Yeah, that'll end well..._

She jumped when Damon spoke in a low, dangerous tone.

"Unbutton your jeans."

"Are you kidding me?" Elena exclaimed, but she froze when she met his eyes. A tingle ran down her spine at the intensity that she found there.

"Do it," he said, and she found her fingers moving lower down to obey him.

No sooner had she finished with the zipper than his hand was inside her pants, and he slid one digit inside of her. She gasped and threw her head back.

"You're wet," he whispered.

"Yes." It was all she could manage. The car was still moving, and she was acutely aware of the danger they were in if Damon wasn't focused on the road.

"Is it because of him?" he snarled.

"No," she answered breathlessly. "It's you; it's all you." She whimpered when his hand stilled.

"I haven't done anything; I've been yelling at you."

"I know." She was fidgeting, trying to get him to move in her again.

He was quiet for a moment, before a low laugh escaped his lips.

"That's dangerous, you know?" Her eyes snapped open, and she gave him a questioning look. "I knew it! It turns you on when I'm angry! You like it rough!"

Damon had pulled his hand back and was outright laughing now, and she scowled at him. "Would you just... Stop laughing at me!"

He did, and that intense look was back. She shivered in anticipation.

"Take off your pants." She opened her mouth to argue, but didn't bother. When her jeans were on the floor, she looked at him. "Put your feet on the dashboard, and spread your legs."

When she did, he took her hand and brought it to her wet heat. Together, their fingers slid through her folds to massage her clit. Then his fingers left hers and moved down to thrust into her. She reached back with her free hand to grip the headrest, idly hoping that there were no other cars on the road.

"This is what I do to you?" he grunted.

"Yes," she cried out.

"Good." And with that, he stopped, and she glared at him again. Instead of saying anything, he took her hand and moved it to his groin, where she could feel his hardened member straining against his jeans. "Because that's what you do to me."

Their eyes met, and there were no more words. He jerked the steering wheel, pulling the car off onto a tree-covered path, just inside the forest. By the time he cut the engine, Elena already had her shirt off, and turned to straddle him. He shoved his pants around his ankles, and she tugged his shirt over his shoulders, raking down his chest with her nails. She made it to his cock, and pumped it slowly.

Their lips met heatedly, and he unclasped her bra, allowing him full access to her breasts. He massaged them, pausing to roll her nipples as his lips made their way down her throat.

"I want you inside of me," she whispered in his ear.

He moved his hands down to grip her hips in a bruising hold, and slammed her down on him. She gripped the seat behind his shoulders and kissed him again, nibbling on his bottom lip. As they moved together, Elena rolling her hips and Damon thrusting upward, they become rougher with each other; she had gone from tearing into the seat with her nails, to tearing into his shoulder, while he was holding her now by her ribs, tilting her back so he could nip and suck on her breasts, carelessly leaving red marks that would doubtless turn purple within a few minutes.

She leaned forward and, with one swipe, licked her way up his neck to suck on his earlobe. He held her tighter, and growled, and she couldn't remember ever having heard anything quite so sexy in her entire life. She peeled his hands from her ribs and pressed them into the back of the seat. She knew that if he wanted to, he could free himself with a flick of his wrist, but it didn't matter.

With his head now thrown back, Elena could see the darkened veins around Damon's closed eyelids. She slowed for a moment, and his eyes opened. She ran the pad of her thumb across the veins, and then leaned forward to kiss them.

"Elena," he growled, "Just ignore it. Otherwise..."

She pulled back to stare at him, understanding the threat. If she didn't stop, he would bite her, plain and simple. Although, surprisingly, she didn't mind that thought so much.

She had frozen entirely now, and Damon mistook it for fear, so he shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and willed himself to calm down.

"See," he whispered, "I'm fine, so can we -"

Elena interrupted him. "Does it hurt?"

He frowned. "It doesn't have to. I haven't heard any complaints," he ended in an arrogant tone, his lips curving into his trademark smirk.

She took a moment to process that thought, and then she was slamming down on him again, and they yelled out nonsense at the abruptness of the action.

"Would it make you feel better?" she whimpered when he thrust up. "Would it make you believe that I'm all yours? Because I would never let anyone else..."

Damon's hands were back on her hips, but his eyes were open and holding hers. "Don't tease me, Elena. You wouldn't like the result." He paused, then smirked again. "Or maybe you would."

She pressed her forehead to his, never breaking eye contact. And with a confident smiled, she whispered, "Bite me."

* * *

"Does it hurt?"

_Holy. Fuck. She wants you to do it, you bastard!_

"Would it make you believe that I'm all yours?"

_Sonofabitch. For the love of all that is holy, DO IT!_

"Bite me."

_JESUS CHRIST! BITE NOW BITE NOW BITE NOW!_

One last look in her eyes gave him the push he needed. He leaned forward, and kissed her neck. It was lower down than usual, and wouldn't allow for much blood-letting, but that was fine by him. His goal wasn't to feed, anyway. And he knew that there was no way _not_ to antagonize John later on if Elena showed up at that dinner with a fresh bite mark on her neck.

_Did you really just think of John when you should be making her scream your name in ecstasy from the feel of you drinking her blood? WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM, YOU SICK FUCK!_

Damon snapped out of his internal monologue, and was glad that Elena hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary with his behaviour. She was still moving on him, sending pleasure soaring through his body, and his fangs extended at the thought of her.

"I love you," he murmured into her skin before piercing it.

She stiffened a little at first, her hips slowing for a brief moment before resuming their former actions at a heightened pace.

"Oh my... Oh Damon," she was moaning at him, and he could feel her walls fluttering, teasing his penis and bringing him closer and closer to the edge.

Her voice grew louder and more insistent as he pushed her higher and higher. Her whimpers became yelps, and she didn't seem to know what to do with their hands, as they were all over his body, all the time. He pulled his fangs out of her and met her lips, blood still staining his mouth, but she didn't seem to care.

With a final thrust upward, she fell apart in his arms, stiffening before collapsing over him in spasms. He continued moving slowly, once, twice, and then finally allowed himself to tumble into the oblivion that was Elena.

* * *

Jenna was waiting by the door when Damon dropped off her niece. She ran the cursory check, frowning at the unfamiliar hoodie that was draped over Elena's shoulders.

"I was cold. Damon lent it to me," was the only answer the older woman got before the teenager scampered up the stairs to get ready for her dinner with John.

John. Elena's _father_. Jenna shuddered at that thought, and went back into the dining room to continue work on her thesis. She'd hit a wall, and felt very much like throwing herself in front of a moving vehicle right now.

It was 6 o'clock when Jenna finally slammed her laptop closed and shook her head.

"Elena!" she called up the stairs. "I'm gonna go stay on campus for the rest of the weekend to get some research done on my thesis. Is that okay?"

She didn't receive a response. Instead, Elena crept around the corner at the top of the stairs to make her way down. Jenna's eyes widened, and she smiled.

"Oh my God Elena; you look beautiful!"

It was the truth. The young girl made her way down the stairs slowly, wearing a black knee length dress with wide straps that crossed at the front and back, wrapping around the area where her neck met her shoulders. On her feet, she wore a pair of black, open toe pumps, and her hair was expertly pinned up, with only a few free wisps here and there. The smoky eyeshadow and dainty silver watch were the finishing touches, and Jenna could never remember Elena looking so very adult.

The girl in question was smiling, which only added the effect, and it took the aunt everything to not pull the teenager into a tight hug.

"You look so grown up! When did you get to be a grown up?"

Her niece only smiled wider. "Calm down Jenna. It's not like I'm graduating or anything. It's just a dress." Before Jenna could respond, Elena frowned. "Crap, I forgot my purse. Hang on!"

The moment the girl had disappeared upstairs, there was a knock at the door, and Jenna opened it to reveal a very spiffy looking Damon.

She stiffened involuntarily. Alaric, Elena and Jeremy had assured her that Damon was all but harmless at this point, but she was still nervous, a creeping feeling making the hairs on her arms stand on end. She wondered how she hadn't noticed her body's reaction to a predator before.

He smiled charmingly. "Good evening Jenna. How are you?"

"Fine," she answered in a strained voice.

His demeanour changed, and he took on a much more concerned expression.

"Look, Jenna, you don't need to worry. I'm practically house-broken now." He said the last part with only a touch of bitterness. "I haven't killed a living person in..." He stared at the ceiling as he pondered his answer, but when he scanned back down to continue, his eyes locked on something over her shoulder, he gasped audibly and his jaw dropped. Literally dropped open.

Smiling, Jenna turned to face Elena, who was returning to the doorway.

"Damon," the older woman whispered, her nerves apparently having disappeared at the rather comical sight, "Close your mouth, and wipe the drool. Try to be cool."

He shook his head and blinked slowly a few times.

"Uh... Yeah, okay. Door." He turned, forgetting that Jenna still had the door open and almost walked into it. He took an abrupt step back and offered his arm to Elena, who accepted it.

"You look beautiful," he said, and the young girl smiled in response.

"You're looking very nice yourself."

"Alright," Jenna interrupted when they seemed to be getting a little lost in each other. "All puppy love gushing aside for a moment please. Elena, I'm going to stay on campus. I'll be back Monday morning. Cell if you need anything." A nod from her intended target and then she refocused on the vampire. "And no funny business out of you while I'm gone. Alaric's going to be around to keep an eye on her and Jeremy. She stays in town, and she stays alive, and if you try and do something that she isn't comfortable with -"

"Okay!" Elena yelled. "Let's go now please now!"

And with that, the couple were gone, leaving Jenna alone in the house, giggling uncontrollably.

* * *

Still blushing from Jenna's 'talk', Elena moved to slide into Damon's car, but he blocked her.

"Can I just have a moment?" She smiled at him as his eyes roved over her. "God, I'm never going to get used to how stunning you are."

She suddenly adopted a stern expression. "You are _not_ allowed to rip this dress off. I like this dress, and it covers up vampire love bites very nicely."

Damon looked hurt for a moment, and pressed his right hand to his chest, just over his heart. "For once, I had no intention of disrobing you at all. Just enjoying the view." Then he leaned in close. "But if you keep talking about 'vampire love bites'..."

Elena just laughed and sat down.

* * *

The ride took about an hour. John had made reservations at an upscale restaurant in Richmond, and in spite of herself, Elena appreciated the gesture.

When they arrived, Damon tossed his keys to the valet and offered her his arm again. John wasn't there yet, but the hostess seated them promptly. The blonde woman leaned against the table, staring at Damon with a hungry expression, asking if anyone wanted anything to drink.

Elena almost kicked her from under the table. Instead, she leaned into Damon, placing one hand scandalously close to his groin, and brought her lips to his ear.

"Can you order me a glass of white wine please? I'm too young."

He coughed, but placed the order for a bottle of white wine, his eyes on Elena the entire time. When the hostess finally left, he allowed his eyes to widen.

"What was that?"

She leaned back in her chair, captured Damon's hand and held it above the table. "What? You're the only one who gets all jealous and possessive?"

He slid his hand out from under hers and groaned (_Oh God... He needs to not do that in public!_), slowly sliding his fingers up her skirt.

_Oh God... He _really_ needs to not do that in public!_

"Damon," she giggled, "Not here."

"Long tablecloth. We're good," he whispered back.

"Small table. John's here," she answered, and breathed a sigh of relief (and loss) when his hand disappeared.

The couple stood up in a very forced effort to greet John in a civilized manner. He and Damon shook hands, while Elena allowed him to kiss her cheek. It was awkward, to say the least.

They spent the next few minutes sipping wine and talking about inane things. Elena secretly wondered when the whole evening was going to explode in their faces.

And sure enough, she was not disappointed.

They had just ordered appetizers when the server delivered a fresh bottle of red wine. The group looked at each other.

"I'm sorry," Damon said to the server, "But we didn't order this."

"Oh," the man answered, with a curiously blank look in his eyes, "Compliments of a friend." He glanced at Elena. "Klaus sends his regards."


	26. Inside

**A/N: I suck. I know. So much badness happened this past weekend... Ugh. On the bright side, my brother is sitting next to me as I post this. I shall relay the conversation: **

**SWT: * eyes widen ***  
**Brother: What?**  
**SWT: My stats for this story went up a lot since I last checked it.**  
**Brother: Like, how much?**  
**SWT: Like, a lot!**  
**Brother: Percentage-wise?**  
**SWT: I dunno... From like 25 000 to 33 0000.**  
**Brother: Hundred? You mean hundred?**  
**SWT: ... No... Thousand... A little over 33 000 hits on this particular story.**  
**Brother: Holy shit. So, like, you're actually good at this!**  
**SWT: Apparently.**  
**Brother: Can I read your original stuff now? I didn't know you were actually good.**  
**SWT: ... You're an ass. **

**So yeah, there's that. I rewrote most of this chapter a whole lot, and I would really really indescribably appreciate reviews letting me know how it is. I'm hoping to post the next chapter of this, and 'The Sharp Knife' by tomorrow, if anyone's reading that one too.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

It amazed Elena sometimes how quickly shit could hit the fan. And when one keeps company with vampires, that proverbial fan sure spins quickly.

Before she could register anything beyond her accelerated heartbeat and shallow breathing, Damon had her up and clutched to his chest, the server's arm gripped in his other hand. John was on his feet, watching the goings on with a guarded expression.

"Fuck!" Damon whispered. He turned to the server. "Who told you that? Who sent you?"

Elena glanced around, noticing that everyone was staring at them as she searched for anyone who seemed out of place.

"Compliments of a friend," the server repeated, "Klaus sends his regards."

Damon gave up, turning to stare at Elena for a moment.

"Get out of here!" he hissed at her. "Go with John." He glanced over at the blond man. "Do not stop anywhere; go straight to your house and wait there until I come and get you."

He released her then, and pulled out his new cell phone as John roughly bundled Elena out of the restaurant.

"Stefan," she heard Damon say into his phone, "Get Katherine and get out here now!"

And then she and John were through the doors and the valet had already pulled up his car.

"That was fast," Elena whispered when they were pulling out of the parking lot.

"The car? I'm sure they were going to throw us out when Damon started man-handling the employees."

Elena nodded, trying to find something, _anything_, to say that would distract her from the terror that she felt. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and silently dialled Elijah's number, but it went straight to voice mail.

The ride was quiet and seemed to drag on, although John was driving as though the speed limit were nothing but a vague suggestion. When they arrived at her house, Elena jumped from the car and barrelled into the house, her father merely a step behind her. He slammed the door and locked it, before grabbing her hand and rushing to bolt every other door and window on the main level.

"I thought that I was ready for this," she murmured plaintively once they were seated on the couch.

John put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder roughly, though it should have been a comforting gesture.

"I knew this was coming," she continued, "I knew he would come for me, but I'm not ready. Oh God, John, I don't want to die."

She was outright crying now, but John simply pulled her into his arms and held her tight.

"No one wants to die, Elena. But sometimes, it's necessary for the greater good."

The teenager reared back. "Wh-What? John, what are you -"

He pressed a finger to her lips and she shuddered. "Sh... You were born for this, darling. You are the doppelganger; this is all that you were meant for."

"John?"

She stood up and backed away slowly, edging toward the stairs. He followed her in a leisurely manner.

"Poor Elena," he lamented, "You're terrified."

He hadn't even finished his statement and Elena was already tearing up the stairs. She palmed her cell phone and threw her purse behind her, hitting John square in the face, but she kept running. She slammed into her room, already dialling Elijah's number. But before he could answer, her phone was torn from her hand, and thrown out the window.

John threw her down onto the bed, and sat over her, pinning her down.

"No!" she cried, "What are you doing? John, please! You're being compelled! Stop! You're being compelled!"

He leaned down and pressed his cheek to hers. "But Elena, I'm only curious..."

He drifted off, pressing kisses down her neck as she struggled beneath him. He tore the strap from her left shoulder, revealing Damon's bite mark.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, pulling back for a moment. "Well that's an interesting development..."

His head dipped again, but this time, Elena brought her knee up to collide with his groin. He groaned painfully and rolled off of her, and then she was gone again, running out of the room and down the stairs, straight for the door.

She had only just unlocked it when John reappeared, slamming her forward into the door. She wriggled again, and he pressed his body to hers. When she thrust her elbow back between his ribs, he hissed, and she pushed him away, running through the dining room.

Every part of her was shaking with a potent mix of adrenaline and fear. She could hear her own breathing echo in her head as she reached out for the kitchen door, only to find John standing in front of her, blocking her escape.

"It must be genetic for you Petrova's to run. A very stupid family trait."

She turned yet again, making her way to the front of the house, when she suddenly stopped at the base of the stairs. She couldn't hear footsteps, but what John had just said was ringing in her head. And then she frowned. He was corralling her, playing with her like she was food.

And then, he was there again, making a 'tutting' sounding.

"I'm sure you learned to play tag as a child, my dear. Didn't my brother and sister-in-law teach you?"

He was slowly moving towards her, and she blinked back tears.

"You aren't John."

The man in front of her smiled, and it sent chills up and down her spine. He was standing toe-to-toe with her, his eyes scanning her face.

"No, I'm not. You're quite bright, aren't you? I hadn't expected that. Doppelgangers have a tendency to be very foolish."

She balled up her right hand into a fist, and punched him in the face. He hardly blinked, and grabbed her wrists, manoeuvring her so her back was to the wall of the foyer, her arms pinned above her head. Then his fingers slowly danced down to her shoulders, then around the curve of her breasts before finally gripping her hips.

"I meant what I said upstairs, Elena..." The way his tongue caressed her name almost made her gag. "I'm only curious." His breath was brushing across her face, and she turned her head away from his. He took the opportunity to lick up her neck and stop at her ear." I mean, when Katerina was in my possession, she was such a good fuck..."

He was running his hand up her thigh, and she screamed, pushing against him with everything she had but it wasn't enough.

And then, he was gone.

She blinked and almost collapsed with relief. Katherine had John-Klaus pinned to the opposite wall by his throat, Elena's cell phone in her free hand.

"Well well well... Who would have thought that John would have defected?" the elder doppelganger drawled.

He tutted her, his face turning red. "John doesn't live here anymore..."

His captor turned her head quickly to face Elena, who nodded.

"It's Klaus. He must be possessing John or something."

At that, Katherine grinned viciously.

"You know, Klaus, I much prefer you like this. So much more vulnerable... It's cute, really."

Katherine was smirking as her fingers tightened over the blond's windpipe.

"Hang on!" Elena breathed. "It's still John, somewhere. We can't just kill him, or he could find some other body!"

John-Klaus laughed hoarsely. "She's smarter than you were, Katerina. It's refreshing." He met Elena's eyes again with a hungry look. "So what are you going to do with me?"

Katherine didn't answer. She simply turned to meet Elena's eyes.

"Go!" she ordered.

"What?" Elena cried. "What about you?"

"See, the nifty part about this whole teamwork thing that you've gotten me into," she turned her head to face the door, and the younger girl followed her gaze, only to see Luca and Jonas Martin standing in the entrance, "Is that now, I have backup."

Elena didn't wait to be told again. She grabbed her cell phone from Katherine, pushed past the Martin's, and ran out into the yard. There was a car waiting in the street, and she didn't check before jumping into it. A sense of relief permeated her being when she saw Elijah behind the wheel.

* * *

"He can't know I'm here," the Original stated as Elena was slammed back into her seat by the sudden speed of the car. "He needs to be unaware when the time comes to kill him." He took his eyes off the road and gave her a cursory glance. "Are you harmed?"

"Nothing permanent..." He took in the scrapes on her face, and the blossoming bruises. "Not..." She continued, before bursting into tears, and Elijah, for the first time in a very long time, was scared. "He tried to... He was going to..." She wrapped her arms around herself, and he understood what Klaus was after this evening.

"You did well, Elena." She looked at him with watery eyes. "He didn't get what he wanted. You fought him off. Do you understand that? You did it yourself; you held him at bay."

She was overcome with a fresh wave of sobs. "But what if Katherine hadn't -"

Elijah turned the car into the driveway of the boarding house. "That wasn't going to happen. Someone would have been there. Someone would have come for you."

And it was true. He practically carried Elena into the house, wondering how it had happened that such a random group of creatures, all of which had, at one time or another, been at each others throats, could be united for a common cause. And be effective.

* * *

Elena sat on the couch in the living room of the boarding house, next to, but not touching, Elijah, who appeared to be lost in the thought. She wished she could be lost in thought, but unfortunately, her thoughts were too terrible to be lost in.

The door opened softly after what seemed like an eternity, and Elena jumped, her eyes wide and fearful, as she waited for someone to round the corner.

It was Katherine; her clothes and hair singed, smelling of smoke.

In a surprising move, Elena burst from her chair and wrapped her arms around the other doppelganger.

"What happened?"

Katherine pulled back tentatively. "You probably don't want to go back home for a while." She paused and met Elijah's eyes. "It was a party until his friends showed up. They sort of brought the house down." She looked back at Elena. "Literally."

"The whole house?" the teenager asked meekly.

"Not really. The structure is still there, but some of the rooms are a little upside down and smoky. There was a bit of an explosion. The Martin's went home to rest."

Elijah stood up suddenly. "I'll go and discuss with them. If that's alright with you, Elena."

The younger girl nodded, and the Original left. There was an awkward silence as the two Petrova's stood next to each other in the middle of the room, until Katherine moved toward the alcohol.

"How did you -?" Elena began, her arms still wrapped tightly around her own body.

Katherine took a sip from her glass, and turned to face her double.

"I came to check on you, and I heard running around inside. Your cell phone was making a noise in the front lawn, and I called Elijah. I was going to wait for him to come; I know you were scared, but as long as I could hear you two struggling, I figured that it would be better to hold off until the Martin's could get there. When I didn't hear struggling anymore, and you screamed, I forgot the waiting, and just jumped in."

Elena nodded, but any response was cut off by a sudden breeze as Damon blurred into the room. He placed his hands on his girlfriend's shoulders and peered into her eyes.

"I'm fine," she blurted even before he'd asked the question. She stepped out of his grasp as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"What happened? Katherine just called for us to come back. Where's John?"

Elena looked at the floor, and her hand dropped, allowing the broken dress strap to drop down. Without a word, Damon unbuttoned his shirt, and was throwing it over the girl's shoulders as Stefan walked in.

"John is Klaus, or something like that," Elena rasped. "I mean," she met Damon's eyes, "He's still human. I punched him, and he felt softer than whenever I punch you, so..." She looked away again, a crawling feeling under her skin.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked, frowning. His eyes darkened as he took in Elena's defensive stance. "What did he do?"

The younger girl opened her mouth to speak, but Katherine saved her the trouble. "He wanted to see if she and I are the same inside and out." She sent both brothers a look rife with meaning, and they both stiffened.

"He did what?" Damon growled, moving toward Elena again, but the elder doppelganger got in between them first.

"It's been a long day," she said to no one in particular. Then she looked at her double, "Why don't we go upstairs and you can take a shower while I find you some pyjamas that don't come straight out of Damon's drawers?"

Elena nodded quietly, her eyes still on the floor, and Katherine guided her out of the room with an arm around her shoulders.

"Later," she whispered, too low for the human to hear.

* * *

Elena had once told Damon that if he was feeling angry, he should count to ten to calm himself down.

_One... Elena's safe._

_Two... I trusted Elena, and sent Katherine._

_Three... Katherine got there in time._

_Four... Elena's safe._

_Five... We know where Klaus is._

_Six... Klaus touched Elena._

_Seven... KLAUS TOUCHED ELENA!_

_Eight... THAT SONOFABITCH FUCKING TOUCHED _MY_ ELENA!_

_Nine... He made Elena cry._

_Ten... Elena's crying._

His eyes opened, and met Stefan's concerned gaze.

"What?" he snapped, turning and reaching for his bourbon.

"Damon," his brother began, "I know how you must be feeling right now, but you need to calm down."

"I am calm!" the elder yelled, his glass exploding in his hand.

He growled loudly, stalking toward Stefan, who danced out of the way. The couch flew across the room, followed closely by an end table. It was a blur of utter destruction, as Stefan worked to try and keep Damon under control, and the latter went about upending the entire room.

An hour later, he made his way up the stairs and met Katherine just outside his bedroom door.

"Great," she drawled, "She's all freaked out because of what Klaus tried to do, so be gentle please. I just put some hard work into stopping her from crying, and I would hate for you to ruin it." She gave him a pointed look. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go fuck your brother into the mattress."

She sauntered off, and Damon stood motionless at the door for a moment, unsure of what he would find on the other side.

He entered his room to find Elena, her knees curled under her chin, sitting above the covers, wearing what he assumed to be Katherine's pyjamas. They were surprisingly not-skanky.

"What happened downstairs?" she rasped.

He shrugged. "Discussing with Stefan."

They were both silent and Damon took a few steps toward the bed, and then stopped.

"I'm sorry," Elena whispered pitifully.

His heart broke. Cracked audibly and he felt the pain in his fingers and toes.

He was on the bed before she could take another breath.

"What could you possibly have to be sorry about?"

She shrugged, eyes on her feet. "Downstairs. I was just freaked out, and Katherine was the one who got there, and I just -" She broke off with a sob and curled into his side. He tentatively wrapped both arms around her and pressed his lips to the crown of her head. "I could just feel his hands, everywhere. And I didn't want to be touched anymore. I felt – feel just dirty, like he's still here somewhere."

"You need to sleep," he said, pulling the sheets out from under her and tucking her in. "It's been a long day."

"Please don't leave!" she almost screamed as he stood up. She grabbed at his shirt in desperation.

"I'm just taking off the rest of my suit," he answered, shucking his undershirt and dress pants.

When he'd gotten under the covers, Elena tugged his arm across her body as she curled into the foetal position. He lightly kissed the back of her neck in what he hoped was a comforting manner, and was rewarded when she snuggled closer to him.

"It's okay," he whispered into her ear, "You're safe now, baby." He jerked a little when she giggled. "What?"

"You called me 'baby' again." She yawned, and snuggled closer.

"I could call you something else... Sweetheart?" She grunted her displeasure. "Cupcake?" Another grunt. "Daaaarling?" A groan this time. "Love?"

"Yeah," she purred tiredly.

"Fair warning though: I am not calling you that in public. I have a rep to protect."

"Pff... Everyone already knows you're whipped anyway."

He smiled into her back, and followed her into sleep.

* * *

**A/N2: Anyone who read Make Me Wanna Die – Odd little role reversal for Katherine, huh? I wasn't sure how the attack was going to pan out until I was actually writing it, so it was a surprise for me too.**


	27. Fixed

**A/N: I realize that I'm a rotten liar. I said by Friday, and it is now Sunday. But I've been working about 10-13 hours a day for the past 2 weeks, so I'm pleading that. And I really really really wanna get moving on The Sharp Knife, but I figure that this one should take precedence, since we're actually really close to the end. I'd say about another 3 to 4 chapters after this one, but I tend to get long-winded, so that might wind up being doubled. Sigh... **

**Also, I'm sorry to _lilmissgurl4eva_ for lying a little. Last minute change to the song inspiration for this chapter. But the next one is the same, I promise. Anyways, hope you all enjoy. Please review, as per usual; it gets my guilt going every time I get a review, and makes me find time to work faster. **

**(P.S.: Anyone see the new Harry Potter? Sobbed like a baby, and swore a whole bunch. Alan Rickman for an Oscar man!)**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_And high up above or down below; When you're too in love to let it go; But if you never try, you'll never know just what you're worth. Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones. And I will try to fix you. _

_Fix You by Coldplay_

* * *

Elena didn't wake again until the next afternoon. She squirmed around in the bed, but the spot next to her was cold. She opened her eyes and sat up, feeling disappointed at waking up alone.

But, of course, she wasn't alone. Elijah was standing, spine ramrod straight, staring out the window. She coughed a little, to let him know that she was ready to talk, since he probably already knew that she was awake, and he turned around.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked her.

She noted that he hadn't said 'Good morning.' And why should he? After the event of the previous evening, how could this morning be considered good?

"I did. Thank you. Are the Martin's okay? Everyone else?"

"Everyone is fine, and we have now begun developing plans for Klaus' arrival. I was hoping to put him off another few months, but, alas, it was not meant to be."

She nodded. "So I'm gonna die soon?"

"Why don't you shower and dress? Damon is downstairs discussing some business, and making you breakfast. Or is it lunch now?"

She forced a giggle, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I think it would be brunch."

Elena did as he suggested, showering and dressing, before making her way downstairs. She met Damon in the kitchen, and he handed her a plate wordlessly. She frowned at his behaviour, and was even more confused when Stefan walked in and sat down across from her, a folder in his hand. Damon sat down next to his brother and they looked at her expectantly.

She took a slow bite of her toast, and swallowed hard. "What's up?"

Damon smiled. "So, seeing as how your house is out of commission for the moment, and we figured that you would be spending most of your time here... Well, we're giving you the house."

She choked on the toast. "You're doing what?"

Stefan picked up the conversation this time. "You'll have to invite vampires in, so it'll be safer for you. And it's still in Zack's name, so we needed to find another human to take over anyway."

She looked from one to the other. "Are you serious?"

Her boyfriend met her eyes. "As a heart attack."

Another moment passed before she spoke again. "Okay, so what do I need to do?"

The rest of the day passed by in a blur of awkwardness and only barely contained panic. Everyone had met up at the house to be debriefed, and it suddenly dawned on Elena how many vampires she knew. It seemed as though she'd spent the afternoon sitting by the door, inviting people in.

Alaric had called Jenna, advising her to stay on campus until further notice. They had had a big argument over it until Elena finally grabbed the phone and reminded her aunt that there was nothing the woman could do, and the fewer strays they had running around, the better. It was a little harsh, but it got the job done.

Even though she had slept late, by the time 11 o'clock had rolled around, she was exhausted again from trying to keep her anxiety at bay. She bade the rag tag group in the still half-demolished living room good night, and made her way to Damon's room, knowing without seeing that he was only a step behind her.

The exact moment that the door closed, she folded over, her breathing coming in rapid bursts and her heart pounding. She felt Damon's arms wrapped her and she sagged a little more, allowing him to hold her up. She didn't even notice that she was crying until she tasted her own tears and heard Damon's words of comfort against her skin.

After what seemed to be an eternity, she calmed down enough to stand up straight and she turned to face him.

"I'm scared, Damon."

He smiled sadly. "I know you are," he whispered uncomfortably. He looked as though he meant to say more, but Elena strode forward and kissed him softly.

When she pulled back and met his eyes, she smirked a little. "Can you make me forget about it for a little while?"

He noticeably shifted back into his more comfortable persona, and leaned in so his lips were against her ear. "Sweetheart, I can make you forget your own name."

She shuddered in anticipation, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hold onto him as he placed kisses down her neck. His hands were playing with the hem of her t-shirt, and she lifted her arms so he could pull it off. As he brushed her hair off her bare shoulder, his hand slid over her bite mark, and she flinched.

"What's wrong?" he asked, lips swollen and eyes wide and vulnerable.

"Nothing." She shook her head, trying to forget what Klaus had said about the mark.

But Damon wasn't having any of it. "Is it Klaus?"

Elena nodded, looking down, but he tipped her chin back up and stared into her eyes with a hardened expression.

"Okay, I'm only saying this once: You're not allowed to do this. Be scared if you need to be, but don't be weak. You're better than this, and you know it. He freaked you out, which was his goal. Don't let him win, Elena!"

She frowned at him, and opened her mouth to argue, but in a flash, he had her spun around and pinned to the door, his body pressed against hers threateningly, an intense glare in his eye.

"That's enough. He got into your head; he's trying to control you, to take over." He paused for a moment, and his eyes narrowed. She felt a flutter in her stomach, and she twisted her wrists nervously in their position above her head. Then, he spoke again, in a tone so low and dangerous that she felt it down to her toes. "But you – are – not – his. You – are – mine, just like I'm yours."

And that was exactly what it took. She remembered who she really was; not this victim, but a fighter, deep down. Damon had spent months trying to possess her, for some reason or another, and she had fought him, every step of the way. Sometimes it seemed like she was still fighting him.

Then, she remembered where she was: Pinned to the door by a frustrated Damon, his leg between both of hers... Her eyes flicked to his lips and then back up to meet his icy gaze. Suddenly, she darted forward to try and kiss him, but he still held her back.

"Are you done?" he asked condescendingly.

"Let me go," she all but growled.

He smirked at her. "There's my girl..."

In an instant, his hands had released her wrists, and she had wrapped her arms and legs around his body. Another second, and he was hovering over her on the bed. Her fingers danced down the buttons of his shirt, and he rubbed his leg to her denim-covered core, causing her stomach to tighten with lust. Their lips moved against each others in a violent confrontation until Elena's hands made it to Damon's belt. She undid his pants and reached in, gripping his erection as he kissed down her neck again.

He licked at the bite mark, and she felt tingles in her abdomen. He nipped at it with blunt teeth, and she let out a strangled moan. She felt him chuckle against her skin.

"Mine?" he asked, once again pinning her wrists above her head.

"God yes!" was her response as she ground against his leg.

He continued his ministrations on her neck, and she moved against him, trying to create more satisfying friction, feeling her panties growing damper as her body was overloaded with sensations from her bite mark. She retracted her hand from his pants, and he groaned.

"Damon," she said breathlessly. Her heart was beating fast, and she knew what they both wanted, needed. "Bite me... Please!"

She needed him to claim her again; she needed to be his again. She knew how intense her feelings for him were becoming, but she didn't have the energy to evaluate it. Without hesitation, Damon's fangs penetrated her still-sensitive skin, and she cried out. His other hand gripped her opposite shoulder, holding her down as she writhed beneath him. She needed... She needed... She undid her jeans and pushed them down a little before grabbing the hand from her shoulder and guiding the fingers to where she needed them. She felt Damon groan as she impatiently shoved his hand between her legs.

Every pull from her veins was causing her entire body to throb with desire, and slowly, he slid his fingers through her folds, lightly rubbing her clit for a brief moment before restarting. Every time he brushed her sensitive nub, she whimpered, louder and louder each time. When Damon finally retracted from her throat, he was laughing quietly.

"What?" Elena asked between kisses as they worked to rid themselves of the rest of their clothing.

"I think – every other – vampire in the – mmm... house – knows exactly what we're up to..." His lips were pressed against a different part of her body every time he paused as he spoke

"Ah!" she exclaimed, both in response to his words, and a particularly ingenious thing that he was doing with his tongue in her nether regions. "I should probably care but... Oh God! I really really can't right now..."

Between the blood loss and the presence of Damon's tongue inside of her, Elena felt like she was floating, and she never wanted to come down. Her thighs tightened around her lover's head, and he only squeezed her tighter. There was a moment where she flashed to John-Klaus' hand where Damon's fingers were wrapped around her thigh, but that thought disappeared, only to be replaced by nothing but blue eyes and sweaty raven-black hair.

"Damon," she whimpered. He hummed in response, and she felt her stomach tighten again. "Ah... I'm so close... Just a little..."

His teeth grazed her clit, and her inner walls clenched, and the roaring in her ears became deafening. Her entire body was twitching with the force of her orgasm, and though her vision was blurred with tears of satisfaction, she could distantly make out Damon's blue eyes, his expression as he watched her fall apart.

* * *

After another round of mind-blowing orgasms all-around, during which time Elena rode him hard, proving that she could be just as possessive, and that he belonged to her just as much as she belonged to him, (like he needed reminding...) the couple lay in relative silence, the only sound being their heavy breathing. Damon's arm was wrapped around Elena's shoulders, his fingertips drawing designs on her arm, as she did the same to his chest.

"Thank you," she murmured, meeting his eyes.

He put both hands behind his head, and exhaled dramatically. "Yes, it is quite a chore having sex with you. But I'm glad that you appreciate the effort."

She propped herself up on her elbow and giggled, slapping him lightly on the arm.

"Not for _that_. For what you said before that." She flopped back down and imitated his pose, which he found looked much sexier on her, as naked and sweaty as she was. "You're right. I'm not going to play right into his hands. I'm awesome, and he sucks."

Damon smiled and pulled her close again. "That's exactly right, love."

He kissed her shoulder, and she nuzzled against him a little more.

"I love... this," she said in a tense tone.

"I know," he answered, staring into her eyes, trying to make her understand that he could read through her code."

"Good." And she rested her head against his shoulder again, and fell asleep.

* * *

"Pssst..."

"No!"

"Eleeeenaaaa..."

"No!"

"Hmph... Well, you'll have to get out of bed sometime."

"No!"

"You can't hide in here forever."

In a heartbeat, Elena had removed the pillow from over her head and rolled so she was sitting on top of Damon, smirking at him.

She leaned down and pressed her forehead to his. "Who said anything about hiding? I'm vacationing." With a slight wiggle of her hips, she ground against Damon's morning erection, and succeeded in making him groan. "But if you insist, I can get out of bed right now."

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Not a chance..."

"Good," she stated, leaning back.

She reached down to grip his member, guiding it into her as they rolled again, so he was pressing her down into the mattress. Their lips molded together as their hips moved as one.

"Quiet this morning," Damon grunted against her lips.

"Mmm... Right, I don't want to be a distracti-Ah!"

They continued as quietly as possible, moving slowly, almost lazily. It was nice, Elena decided. The perfect way to wake up...

... As opposed to a banging on the door a few minutes later. Luckily, the couple had pretty well finished up, although they were still wrapped around each other.

"Wake up!" came Caroline's voice. "I drew the short straw, and I don't wanna come in there."

"We're up!" Damon yelled.

There was a small bang from the door, as though the blonde had kicked it. "I'll bet _you_ are," she mumbled in response to Damon.

Elena giggled. "We're awake. Twenty minutes, and we'll come downstairs, okay?"

"Fine."

Damon rolled his eyes and made to resume his position over top of his girlfriend, but the teenager pushed him away.

"We actually have to get up now Damon. And I really need to shower."

She was out of the bed, stumbling about searching for clothes.

"We could shower together? Save time..."

When she turned around, he was waggling his eyebrows at her, his hair still sticking up from a mixture of sex and sleep... and more sex. Elena could feel herself melting at him, but quickly shook her head, clearing her mind.

"No... We need to be productive today, and showering together is not going to get us anywhere fast."

Damon sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting. "Fine. I get it. I'm all used up."

She crossed the room again and leaned over him to kiss his lips lightly. "Don't be ridiculous." She walked away again, but turned to shout over her shoulder, "And stop pouting. That's not playing fair."

"All's fair in love and war," she heard him mumble as she closed the bathroom door.

* * *

It was less than twenty minutes later when the couple made their way downstairs to find the whole group seated around the dining room table. Elijah sat at one end, with Stefan and Katherine on his left, while Ric, Jeremy, Bonnie and Caroline took up the other side of the table.

"'Sup?" Damon queried, taking the chair across from Elijah and plucking a pop tart off a plate, offering it to Elena. She took it and sat down next to him.

"Strategizing," Ric replied.

Elijah took it from there. "The Martin's are prepared to disable Klaus, once he returns to his own body. I am prepared as well to keep Elena safe. It all comes down to waiting now, I'm afraid." He took a deep breath and eyed the group before continuing. "My brother is relentless and depraved. It would be unwise to goad him in any way until he gets what he's come for. There's no telling what sort of games he has planned, so I believe that your best option, until this mess is sorted out, would be to remain here as much as possible. If it is necessary for you to leave, go in groups and let me know where you'll be so I can keep an eye on you as much as possible."

Damon huffed. He didn't like being given orders, and he most certainly didn't like said orders coming from a man that he, Damon, still didn't fully trust.

"Look, guys," the blue-eyed vampire began, leaning back and placing his feet on the table, "It's not like he can do much while he's in John's body, right? And, I mean, what's he gonna do now? Show up and talk us all to death? He's made his first move, he's caught us all off guard, good for him. But he -"

He was cut off by a loud knocking from the front door, and the whole group eyed each other warily, before casting accusing glances in Damon's direction.

"Way to jinx us, jackass," Caroline snapped.

"Oh, come _on_," Damon drawled, standing and following Stefan and Katherine to the front entrance. "As if he's that stupid that he'd walk right to us."

There was another knock, and then the group were all crowded into the foyer. Stefan looked to Katherine, who nodded. Then, the younger Salvatore had thrown open the door, and pretty effectively proven his older brother wrong.

There, on the other side of the threshold, stood John-Klaus.

* * *

In anticipation of her upcoming man-handling by the various vampires who had become her keepers, Elena skipped to the back of the group as Damon, Stefan, Katherine and Caroline all growled at the intruder. Jeremy grabbed his sister's hand, Alaric on her other side and Bonnie at the very back, evaluating her options.

The younger doppelganger met John-Klaus' eyes through the gap of vampire heads in front of her, and she glared at him.

"What are you doing here?" she practically hissed at him, moving forward instinctively, forgetting about Jeremy until he tugged her arm lightly.

John-Klaus smirked and eyed the entire group before stepping purposefully across the doorway, edging confidently (if such a thing is possible) around the vampires and consequently closer to Elena.

"I just came to chat very briefly. I will be returning this particular body to you all, soon enough," he replied casually, as though they were all friends, and were discussing the weather.

At the very end of his statement, however, he made the mistake of taking a step directly towards Elena. Damon had him pinned to the wall in the time it took the humans to breath.

"We aren't playing any games here, Klaus," Damon spat, " And we aren't interested in what you came here to say. Now, Elena doesn't want any of us to kill John's body, but I have no problem torturing you until you forget everything you've ever done or thought. Clear?"

Klaus only smirked in response, so Damon slammed him back against the wall before dropping him in a heap on the floor.

As this exchange was happening, Elena realized, to her surprise, that she wasn't nearly as scared of John-Klaus as she'd anticipated. In fact, once the weakened Original was released from Damon's grasp, she wriggled away from Jeremy and took a few tentative steps forward until she placed a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder and stared coldly at the vampire inhabiting her fathers body.

"Klaus, you failed in whatever you tried to do the other day. You can't toy with me; you can't play with me until I break. So spit it out fast before I slap it out of you, got it?"

The enemy rose, and there was a general reshuffling behind Elena, as the vampires created a semi-circle behind her, ready to jump at a moment's notice. She chanced a brief glance over her shoulder, and met Katherine's eyes. The elder Petrova was smiling in an undecipherable way, and when their identical eyes met, the vampire winked.

All eyes snapped back on Klaus when he groaned and leaned back into the wall.

"Well," he began, his hand coming up to rub his own chest, "I had intended for a much longer visit, but it would appear that my people are much more efficient than I give them credit for." He gasped in pain, leaving the group confused. Through it all, he stared directly at Elena. "I came to inform you, my dear, since it would appear that you have no intention of running, that the sacrifice is happening tonight."

He winced again, but stepped forward toward his prize, but she wasn't taking any chances. Months of being surrounded by vampires with various and often ambiguous intentions had made her easily annoyed by their propensity to invade her personal space. As soon as John-Klaus was within her reach, she balled up a fist and let loose a hook that sent him, weak as he appeared, stumbling back into the wall.

"Impressive, Elena," he murmured, still smirking and now rubbing his jaw. "You have the day to say your goodbye's. I will meet you here at sunset."

Suddenly, Damon jerked forward to grab at John-Klaus again, but he was too late. The Original's eyes rolled back, and the body fell to the floor. After a few moments, during which everyone had stepped back in surprise, and then shuffled forward out of curiosity, John's eyes snapped open, panic and humanity present once again.

"W-w-what," he stuttered, pushing himself up into a sitting position, "What the fuck just happened?"


	28. Lie To Me

**A/N: I'm in California right now, and I've been trying desperately to find time to write/post. Seriously, I threw my basketball kids into their camp, and have been writing on a million different projects ever since. I do, however, want to finish this story before publishing the next chapter of The Sharp Knife, or starting anything else. **

**There are a lot of POV changes, but a lot of stuff needs to happen in a very short amount of time, so there's the reasoning behind that.**

**P.S.: California is surprisingly cold. And I've decided that I'm moving to Santa Monica. Yep... Yep... **

**I have another chapter finished after this one, and I'm working on the next, and then there's the epilogue. I'll probably post the next chapter, Going Down, on Monday when I'm back in LA. Enjoy!**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn? Well that's alright because I like the way it hurts._

_Just gonna stand there and hear me cry? Well that's alright because I love the way you lie._

_Love the Way You Lie by Eminem feat. Rihanna_

* * *

When Alaric and Elena had disappeared into the parlour with John, Elijah strode into the foyer, the look on his face making it clear to the rest of the group that he had heard every part of the chilling conversation.

"Caroline," he began with no preamble, "Go to Tyler Lockwood; go with him and hide until this is all over. Klaus requires a vampire and a werewolf as part of his sacrifice, and I know that Elena would prefer that no one she knows is used." The blonde nodded and blurred out the door.

He then looked to Bonnie and Jeremy. "You two, go to the Martin's. Bonnie, help them prepare for this evening. Jeremy, tell them that I need the elixir and bring it back here as fast as possible," They, too, nodded, and rushed out of the house.

The Original then met the brown eyes of the last doppelganger that he had tried to save. "Katerina."

She smirked at him. "I don't like taking orders."

"I am aware."

Then, she sighed dramatically. "I'm on it."

And without any further explanation from either of them, she was gone.

Stefan's brow furrowed and looked at Elijah. "What -?"

A dismissive wave of his hand. "She'll be fine. I have faith in her."

Damon had been uncharacteristically quiet during the proceedings, and blinked when he realized that everyone but his brother and the elder vampire had left. Elijah said nothing, simply led the other two into the parlour where Elena had John's head cradled in her lap, and the two were speaking to each other in hushed tones.

"Elena, we'll have to move John upstairs. I trust that Alaric is quite capable of making your father comfortable."

"But, I-"

The Original's voice was stern when he spoke again. "Klaus is most likely hoping that John will keep you distracted. There will be plenty of time to speak with him _after_."

Slowly, she nodded, and allowed the two human men to leave the room.

* * *

"So now what?" Elena asked quietly, knowing that she could no longer avoid this conversation.

She cast a wary glance in Damon's direction, well aware that he, much like herself, had _known_ that she would die, no matter how temporarily, but had avoided thinking too much about the implications.

Elijah seemed to pretend that he knew none of this, and answered very matter-of-factly.

"Jeremy is bringing me the elixir from the Martin's. You will drink it and attempt to enjoy your day until Klaus comes to collect you. Then you will die; I will kill Klaus, and you will wake up."

Elena opened her mouth to speak again, but Damon cut her off.

"What elixir?"

"An elixir that I had created for Katerina, and have kept for the next doppelganger." The Original nodded in Elena's direction.

It was almost comical the way Damon's blue eyes widened suddenly.

"A five hundred year old potion? That's what's supposed to get Elena through this? You can't be serious?" He addressed this last to Elijah, who didn't react. "You're going along with this?" he asked his girlfriend, who simply shrugged. "No, this isn't -" He was floundering now, looking finally to Stefan for some sort of support, but the younger vampire shook his head sadly.

"Damon," Elena said quietly, "Why don't we go upstairs and talk about this?"

With a huff, he left the room and stomped up the stairs. The teenager offered a small smile to the other two occupants of the parlour, and followed him up.

* * *

"It's gonna be fine, Damon," she said as she entered his bedroom and shut the door.

He was pacing by the window, and stopped every few moments to gape at her. He couldn't believe that she would take a chance like this. Not ever; and especially not now that he had only just gotten her.

"It will not be fine," he growled. "How do we know that this elixir would have even worked five hundred years ago? How do we know it hasn't gone bad?"

Elena giggled. "I really doubt that witches brews have expiry dates."

She had probably meant to calm him down with the joke, but if anything, it only seemed to rile him up even more.

"This isn't funny, Elena! This isn't nothing! This is everything!" She started as he yelled, but he simply couldn't contain it anymore. A reprehensible notion was brewing in the back of his mind, and he realized now what he would do, the lengths that he would go to to keep her safe.

"Don't you understand?" he continued, striding towards her and holding her shoulders as lightly as he could in his present state. "I can't lose you now. You've become everything," he was whispering now, "Everything to me. And if you die..."

She grabbed his hands and looked deeply into his eyes. "You won't lose me."

They stared at each other for a long time, each trying to break the other down. Finally Damon pulled back and stepped away, cocking his head to the side.

_Someone stake me now, because there's no point in living after this. Please! God, or whoever's up there! Someone give me an alternative; give her another chance at life. Please!_

When no heavenly intervention appeared, he took a deep breath, and willed the tears of frustration and self-loathing away.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her.

She took a few steps forward and caressed his cheek, smiling a little. "You have nothing to apologize for. I'm safe. I'm happy. I'm yours. There's nothing better."

Without waiting for an answer, she turned and made her way towards the door.

_Whether you live or die now, I've already lost you. I love you. I love you. I lo-_

"That's not what I'm apologizing for."

He said it so quietly, that for a split-second, he didn't think she'd heard him. But then she stopped, and there was no more time. Another moment, and his wrist was open. He sped forward, wrapping one arm around her waist, and pressing his bleeding wrist over her mouth, blocking her nose so she would have to suck in.

He could feel her screaming against him, attempting to push him off, but he knew it was no use. He was willing to sacrifice her for her own well-being, and he knew that nothing would stop him. He finally felt her giving in out of desperation, and when he felt she'd had enough, he jumped back, and she crumpled to the floor.

* * *

As soon as he heard Elena's muffled screams from upstairs, Stefan looked at Elijah, who darted away. The two burst into Damon's bedroom just as the girl fell. He saw the blood on Elena's mouth, the look of revulsion on his brother's face, and the blood dripping from the latter's wrist.

"What have you done?" the younger growled.

The despair was evident in Damon's voice when he answered. "What I had to do."

Elijah had Elena in his arms and Stefan blurred over and shoved his brother back.

"You had no right! How could you possibly do something like this!"

For a moment, it almost seemed as though Damon was lost in thought. But then his eyes refocused, and there was such sadness there that Stefan reared back. "Because I had to."

They all heard the front door slam, signalling Jeremy's return.

"Elijah?" Elena croaked. "Will it still -?"

The Original shook his head slowly, and a fresh wave of tears welled up in the teenager's eyes. They spilled over as she nodded in understanding.

Stefan loosened his hold on his brother, and he started to move towards his ex-girlfriend. When Damon made no move to do anything but wallow, the younger made up his mind and went over to kneel by Elena.

"Come on," he said softly, offering her his hand, "Let's get some air."

She took his hand and, without a backward glance, they left the room.

* * *

After Jeremy, Alaric and John (in that order) had all attempted to throttle Damon, and Damon hadn't done a damn thing to stop it, Elijah had dismissed the three others to discuss with the distraught vampire alone.

"So you've done a terrible thing," the elder began, approaching his seated companion with a glass of brandy.

"I did the right thing," Damon answered gruffly, taking the glass and pouring its contents down his throat. "I saved her life."

Elijah flinched, and continued impatiently. "So how are you going to solve this problem? How are you going to fix what you've done to Elena?"

"I -" the other vampire began, only to stop short as he truly realized what the Original was saying. "I can't undo it. But vampire blood isn't a death sentence." Elijah nodded. "Unless she dies. But if we postpone the ritual..."

"There are several things that Klaus requires to complete his transformation: The doppelganger, a vampire, a werewolf, and a witch. If you remove one, he'll have to wait another month before going through with it."

Damon thought for a moment, then leapt up. "Werewolf is the weakest link. Not a whole lot of those running around."

As he watched the younger vampire make for the door to the bedroom, Elijah spoke one last time. "Caroline should know where Tyler is. Call Katerina if you need anything else."

* * *

After one, last, blue-eyed glance, the Original found himself alone.

* * *

Elena didn't say anything as Stefan bustled her into his car and left the boarding house. He didn't break the silence either. They drove for some time, eventually pulling off onto a trail that led through the woods. She recognized it as the same trail that led to the ruins of the old Salvatore home.

"Where are we going?" she croaked, wiping the last of her tears from her eyes.

"It's a surprise."

He was smiling at her, and she found herself smiling in response. As they trooped through the forest, she stumbled a few times, and he reached back to hold her hand, stabilizing her. After a few minutes, they came out of the trees a few feet from the edge of a cliff overlooking the river. In the distance, Elena could hear the waterfall.

"It's beautiful," she breathed. "But why are we here?"

"We are here," Stefan began, before pulling off his shirt and tossing it at her, "To go swimming."

And before she could blink, he had disappeared over the edge of the cliff, his pants and shoes on the ground at her feet. She heard a splash, and rushed over to see him pop back to the surface of the water.

"COME ON!" he yelled from the river.

The entire situation seemed so ridiculous to Elena that she couldn't help but laugh.

"I CAN'T DIE RIGHT NOW!" she yelled back. "WAIT A FEW HOURS BEFORE SENDING ME OFF A CLIFF TO MY DOOM!"

She could hear the echoes of Stefan's laughter. "YOU WON'T DIE! I PROMISE! COME ON!"

Taking a few steps back, she realized that she was wringing the shirt in her hands. Another moment of consideration, and she smiled, stripping down to her underwear and throwing Stefan's discarded t-shirt over her body. Then she took a deep breath and ran to the edge, screaming the whole way down until she hit the water.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed as she burst back up. She splashed her companion. "That was terrifying! I hate you!" But she was laughing the whole way through.

"When I was ten," he began, treading water, his face falling back into the more familiar, sombre, expression, "Damon walked me out here. He was seventeen, and he tried to convince me to jump with him. I think it was the first time I'd every said no to him, and stuck to it. So he jumped, and yelled at me to come down too, but I wouldn't do it. I think I even cried. So as I curled up at the base of a tree, Damon climbed all the way back up, picked me up, and threw me over the cliff."

"That's terrible!" Elena blurted out, her voice muffled as her hands covered her mouth.

Stefan laughed. "The whole way down, I wasn't even scared, wasn't worried; I was just so angry with him. He came down right after and I almost drowned him. But he just kept laughing until I started laughing. We came out here a lot."

Suddenly, Elena's face fell. "So, what? I'm just supposed to let this go? Laugh it off?"

"No!" Stefan's brow furrowed again. "No, just... Hear me out about this, okay?" He waited for her nod, and then continued.

"I'm not going to justify what he did. What he just did to you is atrocious. But I think that if you understand his thoughts then it might make you come to terms with it sooner rather than later. You have a lot of time to hate him now. But I don't want you to get bitter. It'll tear you apart.

"Our mother died when I was two. I don't remember her at all. She died giving birth to a little girl, Sophia, who ended up only surviving a few days. Damon had always been very protective of me, learning more from our mother than our father. And he continued to be protective long after she'd gone."

It occurred, then, to Elena, just how old Stefan was. He usually made an effort to speak and act like a real seventeen year old. But as he became lost in memories, his vocabulary really did reflect his 162 years.

"When I was seven, I fell out of a tree and broke my leg. Damon heard me screaming and found me. He told me that I would be okay, but it would hurt for a minute. He had to bind my leg in place with his belt and shirt before he could carry me back into the house. It's one of my most clear human memories, how much that hurt. But he was right. I was okay, but he had to hurt me a lot to do it. That's the way Damon sees things. The ends always justify the means.

"Now, I'm going to tell you something else about Damon. He had loved exactly four people in his human life: Our mother, Sophia, me, and Katherine. And he believed, maybe a little erroneously in Katherine's case, but correctly in my case, that we loved him back. And what did we do to him?"

It took Elena a moment to realize that the question wasn't rhetorical, so when she answered, she was a little breathless as she caught on to what he was saying. "You forced him to become a vampire."

Stefan nodded. "He loves you more than he's ever loved anyone. And knowing what he's learned of love over the course of his life, can you be surprised that this is the only option he knows?"

Slowly, Elena shook her head. "It still isn't okay."

"It certainly isn't. But I hope it makes you feel a little better."

At this, she dunked back underwater. When she surfaced, she tried to smile, to reassure Stefan. But what she really needed was to talk to Damon.

* * *

The vampire in question was just leaving his house, cell phone held uselessly in his palm when Stefan and Elena pulled back into the driveway. She hopped out of the car, and Damon stepped back unconsciously. She walked right up to him and passed him by.

"We need to talk," she whispered on her way through the door.

He followed her up to his room where she stopped a few feet inside. Damon waited, trying to quell the hope rising inside of him.

"I don't want to know what you were thinking," she began, clearly making an effort _not_ to look at him. "I don't care whether you think it was justified, and I don't want to hear your reasons. You hurt me. You forced me to do something that I didn't _ever_ want to do." Now she met his eyes, and he could see the coldness there. "I can't trust you anymore, Damon. And I trusted you... More than anyone. You were supposed to protect me, and instead, you've hurt me worse than anyone else."

"Klaus -" he began, but she cut him off, apparently misunderstanding where he was going with that thought.

"What you did is worse than Klaus! Because I trusted you! Klaus had nothing there to destroy; but you've ruined everything!"

A part of Damon, something that was so innate to him that he hardly ever realized it was really there, wanted to argue, wanted to rage at her for forcing his hand. But he knew, had known since before he'd held her down and forced his blood into her mouth, since before he had taken away any other option, that he deserved this. He wasn't the good guy. He had done a bad thing. And he deserved any retribution she could dream up.

"I know," was all that he could say.

"Then how could you do it? You said that you loved me -"

He looked at his shoes. "I do love you."

"Well that's not enough." She huffed out a long breath. "I forgive you." His head snapped up, unable to comprehend the words that she'd said. "But I can't trust you. I can't do this right now; not with everything else."

He knew what was coming now. He braced himself for the blow. Because, as usual, he'd done the hardest thing for the person he loved, and he shot himself in the foot in the process.

"I can't be with you, Damon. We can't be together, not with this between us."

"But what -" She shot him a glare, but he kept on. "What if I can fix it? I could find a way to postpone this -"

"YOU CAN'T FIX IT!" she screamed. "No matter what you do, who you save; you can't take back what you've done! It isn't even about not wanting to be a vampire! It's the fact that you took advantage of me, of my weakness!"

At that point, Damon made the mistake of stepping toward Elena. She flinched and moved back.

"Elena..."

She held up her hand and closed her eyes. "Don't." Her eyes snapped open and she shoved past him. "We're done here."

Damon took a few moments to process the entire exchange, finishing by frowning.

"Fuck that."

* * *

Elena was shaking as she drove to her home. She'd had to pull over at one point because she couldn't grip the steering wheel and her eyes were blurred with tears. When she did make it to the street, she parked her car, took a deep breath, and got out. She'd immediately had to grip the door to stand, and all of the air rushed out of her lungs at the sight of the house. She drew in a painful breath, then another, and another, and was finally able to walk.

_One foot. Other foot. One foot. Other foot._

She focused on walking, trying to ignore the trembling in her knees, the pounding in her head, and the turmoil in her stomach threatening to overflow into her oesophagus and splatter all over the yard.

_One foot. Other foot. One foot. Other foot._

She used both hands on the railing to pull herself up the stairs. When she reached the door, she realized that she had no idea what to do. Should she knock? Should she just walk in?

_I should just run the hell away; that's what I should do!_

She knocked timidly and pushed open the door, gasping at the view of the inside.

The house itself had seemed perfectly normal from the outside, and Elena had wondered whether Katherine had been exaggerating about the level of destruction within. The stairs were clear and intact, but the wall between the foyer and the living room was now just rubble on the carpet. Furniture was upended, and although the couch was in its place, she had a sneaking suspicion that someone had put it back there.

The television was on; the cartoon an eerie sight given the state of the room. She made her way into the kitchen. The back door was hanging by its hinges; the windowpanes had shattered, the glass remaining all over the floor. There were burn marks on the counters, and a hole blown straight through the island in the middle of the room. Furniture and dishes were in pieces all around her.

The dining room looked the cleanest, but the sight of it was what frightened Elena the most. There was nothing inside; no furniture, no rubble, no sign of destruction; just a thin layer of sparkling dust on the ground.

Elena jumped when she heard a thumping sound, someone running down the stairs. She made her way back to the front door in time to see a young, black woman turning her head. When her eyes fell on Elena, she smiled unpleasantly.

"We weren't expecting you so early," the woman stated smoothly.

The doppelganger didn't know what to say, so she kept her mouth clamped shut. Then another voice drifted down from the top of the stairs. Elena moved a little further into the foyer, and met the unfamiliar cold, blue eyes of the vampire she already knew.

"Klaus."


	29. Going Down

**A/N: OMG! A day early! Woo! A lot of POV changes in this one as well, because there's a lot to get through. I really hope you like it. It's pretty similar to what happens in the show, with some little changes that I'm nervous about, so please let me know what you think! I'm currently working on the next chapter, and then there may be another after that, then the epilogue. We're closin' in, folks! **

**On an awkward side note, I'll be in LA tomorrow (Monday), and the day after, and have pretty much zero plans. (Aside from, "Coach! Let's go to the beach and tan!") So, and I realize this is odd, if anyone happens to live in the area, and isn't busy, 'twould be kinda cool to meet up, maybe? In a busy place with lots of people around so no one's getting kidnapped ;) If not, s'all good, just figured I'd throw it out there. **

**Also, annoying observation: I was in LA last week, in Santa Barbara for the weekend, and will be back in LA tomorrow morning. Do you know who is in LA this weekend? The cast of TVD. Yeah... I kind of hate my life right now. -eyeroll-**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_They've got all the right friends in all the right places. So yeah, we're going down._

_They've got all the right moves and all the right faces. So yeah, we're going down._

_All The Right Moves by OneRepublic_

* * *

"In the flesh."

Klaus made his way towards Elena, bare feet padding down the stairs. His grey slacks and black button-down were ruffled, as though he had just thrown them on before appearing.

As he reached the bottom step, his eyes turned predatory.

_He's back in his own body now. He can kill you. You can't fight him._

Suddenly, Elena shuffled to her left, closer to the living room.

"I'm here, just like you want," she said, surprised at how strong her voice sounded. "I'm not going anywhere; I'll be your little sacrifice. But until then, just leave me alone."

For a moment, Klaus was speechless. Then he chuckled darkly, his eyes shining.

"Although I do find you quite entertaining, my dear, why would I need to distract you from your thoughts if I have the original?"

That was when Elena noticed Katherine hovering at the top of the stairs. For a second, the younger was confused: How did Klaus get his hands on Katherine? But then, it hit her: Katherine was probably betting on the other horse, trying to placate him in case Elijah failed. How far would the vampiress take it? Would she betray their mission in her quest for her own fragile freedom?

But then, so fast that Elena almost missed it, Katherine winked. The teenager could feel her heart rate slowing with relief.

Unaware of what had gone on in that second, Klaus continued.

"Greta here can keep you company until it is time to leave." He turned around and disappeared up the stairs. "Come, Katerina."

With one last look, the elder doppelganger disappeared as well.

* * *

"_E is here. C + T in tomb. Don't fuck this up too._"

Damon tossed his phone on his seat with a satisfied smile. That was all he needed from Katherine, just one little text. And no matter all the harm she had done to him, and his brother, and Elena, if there was one thing you could count on with that bitch, it was for her to find out exactly what someone, namely Klaus, needed to keep hidden.

The sun was setting as he drove through the town. The fact that Elena was at the house bothered him a lot. He wanted her safe; but, of course, he had screwed that up all on his own, so he couldn't very well complain.

He pulled up to the tomb in the newly settled darkness, and ran down the stairs to roll the stone back.

" - I love you too..."

"Oh _gawd_," Damon drawled, rolling his eyes. "Please just hold the sappy lovey-dovey crap until I get the two of you out of here."

"Damon!" Caroline squealed. "You're here to rescue us!"

"Yep," he grunted, snapping her chains and moving on to Tyler, who eyed him with some trepidation. "I won't bite you if you don't bite me. Deal?"

Without waiting for an answer, he snapped those chains as well, and the three of them were up and into the night air.

"All right, kiddies, let's all get in the car and -"

Suddenly, Tyler screamed. Both vampires turned around, and Caroline made to approach him, but he waved her away.

"Get back! Get back! It's earlier than usual tonight! I can't – AH!"

He fell to ground in a twitching heap, and yet again, Caroline tried to get to him, but Damon pulled her back.

"You, get out of here," he ordered her, "And I'll get him somewhere safe. Go now! We don't have time!"

For once, the blonde listened and took off in a blur, leaving Damon and Tyler behind.

The vampire leaned down to try and pick Tyler up. It was, after all, still early in the evening; Tyler shouldn't be fully transformed for at least another half hour. That would give them plenty of time to get to the Lockwood estate and lock up the mutt.

But suddenly, as Damon got his hands on Tyler's shoulders, the boy jerked up, colliding with the vampire's body, and wasting no time in disappearing into the forest.

"Crap," Damon murmured, peering at the spot where the boy had disappeared. "Oh well, at least Klaus can't have him either."

And with that, Damon left to do the stupid thing and taunt the Original about his apparent failure.

* * *

"He did what!" Bonnie all but screamed into her cell phone, causing Luca Martin to jump in his seat. "What was he thinking? Well of course he wasn't thinking, but -" She stopped, listening to Jeremy on the other end of the line. "But that's insane. He's gonna get himself killed." Another pause, and more listening. "I'll look for something at this end. Maybe I could just burn it out of her, but that would be really painful, going through her system like that."

She rubbed her eyes, and when she opened them, Luca had disappeared, probably to get her some more tea. He was courteous like that.

"No," she sighed, "You stay there with Ric and John. I'll let you know if I find anything."

She hung up the phone and stared at the books in front of her.

_I am so screwed_, she thought as she opened up one of Emily Bennett's grimoires.

* * *

When Damon exploded through the front door of her house, Elena nearly jumped out of her skin. When she realized who it was, she nearly groaned with a mixture of anger and worry. He was one of the last people she wanted to have to talk to right now, but the fact that he was here would probably lead to him dead, and that bothered her more than anything.

"Damon!" she hissed. His head jerked, and he faced her, beaming. "Get away from here, you'll get yourself killed!"

"I fixed it!" he stated proudly. "He won't be able to do the ritual tonight!"

He was still smiling as he walked towards her and she had the sudden urge to slap him.

"Thank you," she began, "But it doesn't change anything about us; I already told you that. It doesn't change what you've done, it just -"

"Well well," came Klaus' silken voice from behind Damon, "Company. But unfortunately, Elena and I must be going now. Although Katerina is locked upstairs, if you feel so inclined." He smirked at Damon, and Elena shuddered.

"Not happening Klaus. You don't have your vampire or your werewolf."

For an instant, it was quiet, and Elena edged closer to Damon's back, in spite of herself.

_For my own well-being and sanity, I really need to stop falling for Damon. I really really really really really -_

Her thoughts were interrupted when Klaus clapped.

"Congratulations Damon. It must have taken a fair bit of effort on your part, and I appreciate that. However, it won't do you any good." Elena's stomach fell as Damon tensed up, and she found herself gripping his large hand in both her own, peering around him to watch Klaus.

_Like, seriously, why do I keep doing this to myself? Elena! Stop touching him!_

The Original's face had changed, become less charming, and more like the sadistic monster that he was.

"Do you really think," he growled, "That after this many centuries I would leave anything to chance? I have backup vampires, backup witches..." He pulled an iPhone out of his pocket and poked the screen. A loud screaming emanated from the device. "And a backup werewolf."

He tossed the handset to Damon, and Elena glimpsed the screen. There, chained to a wall, was Jules. And before the young girl could even blink, Klaus was standing before her and her vampire.

_Because after all, I suppose we are still each others..._

And then there was a cracking sound and Damon's hand slipped from hers. He hit the floor hard, unconscious.

"No!" Elena heard herself scream, but Klaus ignored her.

Instead, he crouched down and inhaled, frowning at something. Then he grabbed Damon's right arm, the one that Elena hadn't been holding, and slid to sleeve up to examine something that she couldn't see.

"Pity," he murmured as he stood again. "What a useless vampire."

And before Elena could even ask what he meant, he grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the door.

"Come, my dear. It's time."

* * *

Jeremy was disgruntled. Bonnie had appeared, flushed and out of breath, at the boarding house, a large book tucked under her arm and a smile on her face. But she had pushed past her boyfriend immediately and darted up the stairs to find John. Once she had tracked the older man down, she had shoved Ric out of the room, and slammed the door. Jeremy had arrived just in time to hear the lock click.

They had been alone in there for twenty minutes, Jeremy propped up against the wall and Ric pacing as they waited for an answer to whether Bonnie could save Elena from becoming a vampire.

Another ten minutes passed, and the two emerged, Bonnie biting her lip nervously, and John looking extremely pale, which was saying something, considering that he hadn't look all that healthy to begin with.

"It's done," Bonnie whispered to the two waiting outside. "Elena's safe."

Jeremy and Alaric both opened their mouths to ask how, but they were cut off when Bonnie's cell phone rang. She answered it, frowned, swore (which shocked Jeremy), and then closed the device.

"You guys stay here with John. I have to go."

And then she was gone again, leaving Jeremy to grumble on his own.

* * *

When Luca became aware of himself again, it was with a sudden jolt and a burst of pain. His eyes snapped open and he blinked blearily a few times before his eyesight cleared. He sat up, and was immediately struck with such dizziness that he had never felt before in his life.

Then, through the cottony feeling in his ears, he heard a sound. It took a few moments for him to recognize it. Someone was yelling.

"Luca!" he finally understood, and he snapped his head up, searching for the source of the noise. "Luca!"

He blinked, and his eyes landed on Elena, standing a few feet away from him. He looked past her and saw a circle of fire. There was something moving inside of it.

He tried to figure out where he was, what was going on. The last thing he remembered was Bonnie talking on the phone with Jeremy. Luca's cell phone had buzzed, and he had left the room to answer it. Who had called him?

Then, he remembered. It had been his sister. Crying and terrified, she had begged him to come and find her. She knew that he was close by; Klaus had taunted her with the information. He hadn't even told anyone where he was going in his haste to save her. He had grabbed his jacket and ran down the street and -

Nothing. He couldn't remember anything after that but a dull pain and something sweet and salty, repulsive and oh-so-good dripping down his throat.

_Oh no!_

He knew what had happened.

He was a vampire. Or would be.

"Elena!" he called out to his classmate. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, but there was fear and sadness in her eyes. She knew what had happened too.

Her brown eyes flicked over his shoulder and he stood up, turning around. Walking towards him, with an affectionate smile and obsession clear in her eyes, was his sister, Greta.

"Hello Luca," she simpered.

She took a step closer, and in the flickering light, he saw a glint of metal held to her side. Behind him, Elena yelled again, but then he heard the rush of flames separate them.

"Greta! You're alive; you're all right! We came to find you!"

She laughed softly, and her eyes flashed. "I wasn't lost. And you, little brother, are going to be part of something great."

Luca's heart sank; she was with Klaus by choice. There was no compulsion fogging her eyes, simply the undeniable conviction that she was on the right side.

"This isn't greatness, Greta," he argued. "This is crazy! You're going to kill people! You've already killed me!"

"I've made you immortal," she retorted, still smiling.

"You've made me a sacrifice! I'm going to die tonight, for good!"

Her expression darkened at his continued resistance.

"You will be part of Klaus forever, Luca. What could be greater than contributing to the creation of that which cannot be destroyed, cannot be killed. It's an honour, a privilege. And if I wasn't so useful to him magically, I would gladly fill your role myself."

Without waiting for any further argument, she slid the knife down her forearm, and the scent hit Luca with the force of a Mack truck. He could feel the pounding in his skull worsening, his body trembling with need, his stomach twist with hunger, and his throat clench with thirst. His mouth was watering, and there was a tingling in his gums that was bordering on painful.

And through it all, Greta slowly moved forward until her arm was extended under his nose. His vision was red, and he couldn't remember anything now but the red liquid calling to him. Elena was calling to him again, but he forgot the sound as soon as its vibration died in his ears. Without any effort, he found his lips clamped around the open wound on his sister's arm, his tongue pressed to the blood that was now running into his mouth.

The pounding grew lighter, and his body grew stronger, harder. There was no pain anymore, except for a sharp tearing in his gums. If he hadn't been so overwhelmed with the blood, he would have screamed with the feeling of his jaw and teeth rearranging, the sharp tips of new canines ripping the soft tissue inside his mouth.

"Enough," he heard Greta murmur, but he didn't stop. Not until he felt his brain nearly explode and he found himself curled on the ground. "I'm sorry," his sister whispered to him, reaching out to lightly touch his temples. "That must have hurt. But it was necessary."

Luca came back to himself then, realizing what he had done, what he had given in to. He was a vampire. Every emotion he'd been feeling a moment before, hurt and betrayal, frustration and anger and fear, had amplified a hundredfold. He looked up and met Elena's eyes across the flames, and noticed that she was crying.

"I'm sorry," he mouthed to her.

He wasn't sure what he expected her to say back. They didn't know each other very well, despite both of them being so tightly involved in this disaster. He had anticipated, perhaps, an angry glare, or forgiveness.

What she mouthed instead was: "Run."

He frowned in confusion at how this beautiful, wonderful, sacrificial lamb would risk the wrath of the devil himself, and perhaps the destruction of those vampire's that she loved, just to offer Luca the chance to escape. He came to the conclusion, as his own circle of flames now danced around him, that Elena Gilbert was certifiably insane.

A strange man, giving off an air of superiority and charm and unrepentant cruelty was making his way towards the three circles.

"Why would you do this to him, Klaus?" Elena yelled across the fire.

Klaus smirked, not even bothering to glance in Luca's direction.

"Because I could. Because it was a wonderful bit of poetry. Whatever you prefer to think, my lovely, you think it."

It seemed, for a moment, that the Original wanted to reach across to touch the young girl. But he shook his head for a second and then turned toward the furthest circle. Greta was chanting now from far away, and suddenly the fire around the far circle disappeared, allowing Luca to glimpse the writhing, and now screaming, form of a young woman.

_The sacrificial wolf_, his mind supplied him.

Horrified, both Luca and Elena watched as Klaus straddled the twitching body and thrust his hand into her chest. He blurred over to Greta, and squeezed the blood out of the heart, as Luca watched Elena stare, stunned, at the now still and mangled mess on the ground.

Then, Klaus was back, right in front of Luca, smiling a dangerous smile. He didn't say anything, just watched him curiously. The flames descended, and Luca's eyes flicked to Elena, who was staring hard at him. And then he ran.

He made it to Greta. In that very moment, he hated her with a force more powerful then himself. The scent of the blood on her arm caused his new fangs to elongate, and he tore into her neck before she even had time to blink. He felt her heart slow as her hands tried, in vain, to push him away. He felt a vicious satisfaction knowing that this, she did not expect, did not want, and could not stop.

When he dropped her dead body to the ground, he was suddenly slammed onto his back, staring up into blue eyes. He didn't notice the arm pulled back until it came down toward him.

He felt a sharp pain in his chest.

* * *

As Elena watched the life drain from Luca, nothing could have torn her attention away. Not Klaus turning toward her, blood on his hands. Not Klaus stalking towards her. Nothing, but a sudden rushing in her chest. She bent a little with the force of it, trying to understand the feeling.

_I'll bet_, she thought, trying to focus on the danger around her instead of the foreign throbbing in her chest, _that it's the ritual. I'm so tied into it, I'm feeling him change_.

The flames had abated with Greta's death, and now, Elena stepped forward. She felt no fear now, no apprehension; just a certainty. This was what she had to do. And no matter what would happen after, no matter how severely she _didn't_ want to be a vampire, she was doing it, no question.

Klaus took her hand, and she barely registered the feeling of blood against her skin. He spun her around so he was pressed against her back, his chin resting on her shoulder. Surprisingly, his breath smelled minty when he spoke.

"Are you ready, my dear?" he breathed against her neck.

Her face was impassive as she stared straight ahead. She knew what was coming, but she remembered her promise, to her friends, her family, herself.

_Damon_.

"Shove it, Klaus. Get it the fuck over with, or I'm walking."

He huffed out a laugh, and wrapped an arm around her waist. She was bombarded with memories of earlier that day of Damon holding her, forcing his wrist to her throat. The other arm crossed her chest and gripped her shoulder. She tipped her head to the side and waited.

"Do you see, there?" Klaus whispered. Her eyes scanned the trees, and she could distinguish Stefan among the leaves. "One of your Salvatore's is here to watch you die. But he won't do anything to stop it." He licked her neck, and she stabbed her heel into his foot. He chuckled. "Such a pity."

Without notice, he bit down, his teeth penetrating her neck violently. It couldn't have been more different than the way Damon made her feel. Her body burned as it was emptied; she felt her entire being throb; her eyesight, hearing and breath all came in sharp bursts before suddenly weakening. It felt like eternity was held in a moment as her heart slowed, slowed, slowed. And then she closed her eyes.

* * *

Stefan rushed straight to Elena's corpse as Jonas Martin and Bonnie bore down on Klaus. The Original was screaming in pain, bombarded simultaneously by his transformation and the onslaught of magicks being wrought on him.

"Come on, Elena," he grunted, lifting her slight body into his arms.

Standing now, he saw Elijah appear in front of the other Original. With his heightened hearing, Stefan was able to discern the low conversation that the brothers were having.

"It is over, Niklaus. All of your efforts have been for nothing. Every life lost; every drop of blood spilled."

Elijah was stalking toward his brother as the younger tried to scramble away.

"You can't do it, Elijah. I am your brother. We are together for eternity!"

A bitter smile spread across Elijah's face.

"And you ensured that when you destroyed our family. But your existence has come to an end. I cannot allow you to survive after everything you have done."

Elijah's arm extended suddenly, and he pushed his brother to ground, looming over him threateningly.

"Wait!" Klaus shouted, desperation showing in his eyes. Stefan found himself moving closer to the action, desperate to see the deed done. "I didn't destroy them!" Elijah's eyes narrowed, and the other Original continued. "I'll take you to them, you can save them, have them."

A jolt of panic shot through Stefan's system as he realized that Elijah was hesitating. He held Elena closer, sensing danger.

"ELIJAH!" he heard himself scream. "DON'T YOU DARE! SHE SAVED YOU! SHE TRUSTED YOU! SHE CARED ABOUT YOU! YOU ARE HER FAMILY NOW! DON'T YOU DARE BETRAY HER LIKE THIS!"

Still standing over his brother, Elijah looked over to Stefan, then at the prone body in his arms. Then, he refocused on his younger brother, and his face was so aggrieved, it caused Stefan pain to see it. He imagined trying to kill Damon, really legitimately doing it. He didn't think he ever could.

"Goodbye Niklaus."

His arm blurred forward and embedded itself in Klaus' chest. The weakened Original blinked once, twice. Then Elijah pulled his arm back, a heart held tight in his palm, and Klaus was dead.

* * *

Damon and Katherine rushed to the ritual site, the latter eyeing the former as though he would drop dead at any moment.

"Stop that," he snapped. "I'm clearly not just going to implode. I can't even feel it."

She had merely shrugged in response and they arrived in the clearing to destruction. Jonas Martin was cradling the bodies of his son and daughter; there was a large fire burning a few feet away from where Stefan and Bonnie stood together, Elena limp between them. Damon made an odd sound in the back of his throat and blurred forward, Katherine hot on his heels.

He grabbed the teenaged body from his brother's arms but didn't seem to know what to do with her.

"Where were you?" Katherine heard Stefan murmur from behind her.

She turned to face him, but didn't move closer.

"I was doing reconnaissance."

He frowned. "On Klaus?" She nodded. "How? Why?"

She stared at him, then, trying to communicate with her eyes what she'd had to do.

"Oh," he breathed suddenly. Katherine noted that he'd stiffened, and moved away almost imperceptibly, and it affected her more than she would have liked.

They were both distracted by Bonnie, who was walking over from where Jonas grieved.

"We should go," she suggested to Stefan, who nodded.

The three of them turned around to see that Damon had long since disappeared.

* * *

The sun was rising when the elder Salvatore arrived at the boarding house. John, Ric and Jeremy lined up at the door as he walked by, straight into the now clean parlour where he lay Elena down on the couch and waited. Her brother and their teacher shared a couch across the room, and John paced.

_Please don't hate me! Please don't hate me!_

All Damon wanted was for Elena to wake up and hold him, but he knew that was impossible. He had ruined that chance when he had ensured her survival. But he could have this, holding her cold hands as he waited for her to wake into an existence she had never wanted, but would have nonetheless.

"Ow," John hissed from the doorway, and the other men all turned to face him. He had his hand pressed to his chest, and Damon frowned.

Then, Elena grunted.

Damon turned back, and she bolted up, right into his open arms, gripping him like she would fall away without his body to hold on to. But something was off.

"You aren't a vampire," Damon whispered. "You aren't a vampire!" he said even louder.

She pulled back, tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. "I'm not a vampire!"

Then she seemed to remember herself, and she pulled away from him, her eyes finding Jeremy's. She was enveloped in her brother's arms, and Damon rose to leave the room. He noticed the front door was open, and followed John through it.

"You were supposed to protect her," the blonde man sighed when they were face to face. "You were supposed to keep her safe."

Damon frowned. Rather than accusing him, John simply sounded exhausted.

"I tried," the vampire admitted, "The only way I knew how."

"You love her though?" John asked. "I didn't think you were capable of it, but you really do, don't you?" Damon nodded. "Then keep trying; keep protecting her."

"Uh... Thanks. But -"

Suddenly, John dropped to the ground and lay completely still.

"John?" Damon crouched down to find the other man's pulse. "John!" He yelled.

Surprisingly, it was Bonnie who made it to him first. She had arrived with Stefan and Katherine, and she placed a gentle hand on Damon's shoulder.

"It's okay," she whispered, though he could hear the sadness in her voice. "This was his choice. His life, for Elena's."

A wail sounded from the front door, and then everyone was there to mourn the final death of the day.


	30. How A Vampire Dies

**A/N: I have been awake for over 28 hours. I wrote this on an airplane. I am finally home. **

**This is pretty much just filler, but it is necessary filler and there is some bittersweet fluff in it, so I hope you enjoy. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing lately! I really appreciate it. Only two more chapters left (entitled 'Moondance' and 'Epilogue').**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

Damon watched from the shadows as Elena and Jeremy, Jenna standing with a hand on either of their shoulders, threw a handful of dirt onto John's grave. When they were finished, they all moved down to where Dr. Martin stood alone, between the graves of a fallen ally and a defeated enemy.

The blue-eyed vampire hadn't wanted to be there, at the cemetery. He felt like he was intruding on something that was private, and not meant for him. He had known that he would feel this way, and tried to communicate it to Stefan as his was man-handled out the door and into the car.

On top of his emotional discomfort, his arm had started to pain him. The bite mark was infecting him slowly, causing the skin around it change colours. He could feel the venom pumping through his system, weakening him. He had almost fallen down the stairs earlier due to a sudden bout of dizziness, and was trying to ignore the sharp throbbing in his arm. He was sweating, even though he knew that he shouldn't be able to sweat. He felt like, maybe, he had a cold; but that shouldn't be possible either.

He turned away from the group, and walked away slowly, focusing on keeping his balance so as not to give away his condition.

"Damon!" he heard Elena call from behind him, and stopped, turning on his heel to face her.

"Elena," he answered cautiously when she'd caught up to him.

"I just – I wanted to thank you for coming. I know that you and John didn't get along, and it means a lot that you would be here."

He resisted the urge to reach out and touch her. "He sacrificed his life for yours. It's the least I could do to honour that, at least."

She nodded a little, seemingly at a loss for words. She was chewing her bottom lip, looking at the ground, and Damon couldn't have been more thankful for that, as another jolt of pain shot up his arm, and he winced.

"I'm leaving," he said to her then. Her head snapped up. "I'm gonna give you some space, for a while."

Her eyes were wide now, and she was staring straight at him, as though trying to read into his soul.

"Where are you going? How long will you be gone?"

He shrugged, trying successfully to seem nonchalant. "Not sure. It'll be a while."

"But, when are you leaving? You don't have to -" She stopped short, and reached out for his hand. "I don't want you to go."

_Oh man, Elena! You're killin' me here!_

"Yeah, I really do," he answered truthfully. More truthfully than she'd ever know. "But I'll let you know what's going on. It isn't forever, okay?"

Now he knew that he was lying, but it was something he had to fake. She had lost so many people already.

So when she nodded hesitantly, still unwilling to fully agree with his plans, he didn't say anything else, simply turned on his heel and strode off.

* * *

"Here," Damon snapped when he arrived back at the boarding house.

Katherine looked up from her magazine just in time to catch the iPhone that he had tossed to her. He continued speaking as he walked toward the stairs, and she followed him, filled with curiosity.

"I'm leaving now. I'll need you to text Elena from my phone every so often, until she forgets about me."

_There is so much wrong with that sentence. But, I suppose, I'm really not the one to judge..._

"And what, exactly, did you tell Elena?" Katherine asked, climbing the stairs behind her ex-lover.

"Just that I'm leaving." He still wouldn't look at her, and she was finding it less and less amusing, more and more annoying. "I'll ditch the car somewhere, and then probably just burn up in the -"

_Oh, hell no!_

"Hey!" she blurted, grabbing his arm and spinning him around easily. His eyes widened with surprise. "Are you stupid? You have to at least tell Stefan, even if you're too much of a coward to tell _her_. And while we're on that subject, do you really think that she'll just wait around here for you? What happened last time you left town and told her to stay put?" She watched the gears in his head turn as he processed that answer. His pupils dilated a little bit and Katherine, again, was filled with curiosity.

_I should have started working on that a _long_ time ago. Something about curiosity killing the Kat._

Then, he shook his head a little, seeming to find it hard to focus now that the venom was taking over. He darted forward and grabbed her upper arms in a tight grip.

"You will not even breathe a word of this to Stefan. Got it? Because we both know that it's only seconds before he runs off to Elena, and tells her what's going on, and then she has to bury another body." He threw her away from him, and not particularly gently either. His breath was coming in short bursts, like just standing was exhausting him. "Just leave it alone, and do what I asked you."

He started to turn slowly away from her, and he missed the curving of her lips into the dangerous smirk that was so characteristic of her.

"Yeah, like that's happening, sweetheart."

Before he even knew what was happening, she'd given him a sharp elbow shot to the temple. He crumpled to the floor, unconscious, and Katherine wasted no time in heaving him over her shoulder to drag him to the cell in the basement.

Unfortunately (or fortunately... Katherine wasn't entirely sure), Stefan walked into the house at that exact moment. Slowly, his eyes focused first on his (girlfriend... lover... whatever), then on the prone form of his brother.

"What's going on?" he asked tentatively.

She grunted, sliding over to him and unceremoniously dumping Damon into his arms.

"Bring him downstairs, lock him up, and then I'll tell you."

He obeyed, rushing back up to the parlour as fast as he could. He flopped back on a couch and watched her eagerly, waiting to hear why she had been dragging his unconscious brother into the basement.

Unfortunately for Katherine, due to her new tendency to care about other people's feelings, she was completely lost about how to reveal Damon's condition. She chewed her lip uncharacteristically, catching her own reflection in a window and noting how much the uncertainty made her resemble Elena.

"So..." Stefan prodded.

"Well," she began, wringing her hands.

_What the hell is wrong with me? Just spit it out Katherine!_

"The other day, when I was doing recon -"

Stefan frowned, his face clouded with anger. "With Klaus?" he spat bitterly.

"Yes, with Klaus..." Katherine rolled her eyes. They had already been over this. "Well, Da -"

"And by 'recon', you mean 'having sex with him'?"

_Apparently, he thinks we haven't been over this enough._

"Stefan, we've already talked about this; it was necessary."

He blinked once and then jumped to his feet. "For what!"

She took a step toward him. "It just was!"

Deep down, she truly did want to tell him exactly how necessary it was that she fuck Klaus while she probed for information. But she had a reputation to protect, and so would try to keep that a secret, even though she knew that if he kept asking her, she wouldn't be able to resist. She would spill to him about her motivations faster that Damon would bare his soul to Elena.

"I have a really hard time believing that sleeping with him was his first proposal," Stefan griped. "He seemed like the type who would threaten death, or torture, or -"

Katherine had had enough.

"Do you really think that it _wasn't_ torture? Have I still not proven myself to you? Do you still not believe that for me to be with _anyone_ else would be unbearable?"

She was standing toe-to-toe with him now, and he seemed to shrink a little faced with her bottled frustration. And so she continued.

"I did it for her!" the elder doppelganger screamed, pointing at the empty doorway as though it represented her younger twin. "Damon called me, told me what he'd done. I had just been hiding outside, watching Klaus. But then I had to go in, and get the information that Damon needed to save Elena's afterlife. And yeah, okay, I could have left as soon as I had texted him. But oh no, Elena just had to go and show up at the house. And can you imagine what _he_ would have done to her if _I_ hadn't been there to distract him?"

After drawing a deep breath, she threw her hands into the air. Stefan was speechless, seated again on the couch, staring at her with wide eyes and a slack jaw. She remembered, then, what she was supposed to tell him, and she softened.

"Damon came back, after he had released Blondie and her werewolf. Klaus was going to use him for the sacrifice instead, but he was 'useless'. I went down to check on him after everyone else had left." She paused, preparing herself for her lover's reaction.

"He'd been bitten by a werewolf, Stefan. He's going to die."

* * *

True to Damon's prediction, the moment Stefan heard the words 'Damon', 'werewolf', and 'bite', it took him all of three seconds to fly out of his house, bypass the line of the cars in the drive, and blur across town, not stopping until he was in Elena's bedroom.

She screamed, holding a t-shirt to her bra-covered chest as Stefan suddenly appeared before her, his eyes widening as he realized his mistake.

"Oh my God," he blurted, spinning around to face the door. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize -"

"It's fine," she reassured him, turning him back toward her with a hand on his shoulder. "What's up?"

He took that moment to examine her. She had purple bags under her eyes, and she was so pale. Her shoulders sagged with emotional and physical exhaustion, and he wondered how long it had been since she had slept soundly.

He wanted to protect her from this, push it away. He had put two and two together, and knew that Damon had planned to run away, crawl off and die alone somewhere. He wouldn't tell Elena; he wouldn't want her to have to grieve for him. And Stefan understood exactly where his brother's desire to flee was coming from.

But it was still wrong. Elena had a right to know. If nothing else, she had shown that much over the past few days.

She was still staring at him, brown eyes, so different from Katherine's, staring at him questioningly. He sighed.

"It's about Damon."

Immediately, Elena's face hardened. "I know that he's leaving. He already told me."

_You sonofabitch,_ he thought to his brother, _I'll never forgive you for forcing me to be the one to tell her._

"He isn't leaving anymore. Katherine locked him up." His ex-girlfriend's brow furrowed, and her eyes narrowed. "Tyler bit him the other night, Elena. He's dying. He was leaving so you wouldn't have to know."

Uncharacteristically, she didn't seem to quite understand what he said. She continued to frown, almost smiling, as though hoping this was all some joke. Her eyes slid over to her bedroom door, where she probably expected Damon to appear any moment.

When no one came, and Stefan continued to stare at her, she swayed on her feet, stumbling backward until her knees hit her bed, and she sat down.

"I don't -" Her eyes scanned the room before finally landing on Stefan. "How did this happen? I don't believe this. I don't understand this."

"You should come to the house," Stefan suggested in a soft voice. "See him, talk to him. In the meantime, we can try and find a cure. We've already circumvented the impossible once this week, right?"

He smiled at her, but she didn't seem to be in control of her body. She rose to her feet, as though she was sleepwalking, and strode past him. He followed her down the stairs, but grabbed the car keys away from her shaking fingers. She didn't even say a word, simply slid into the passenger seat.

She said nothing on the ride. As soon as Stefan put the car in park, she unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out, gliding into the house. Without hesitation, she opened the door to the basement and slid down.

* * *

_Oh God!_ Elena thought. She would have said it, but unfortunately her mouth seemed to be glued shut. She hadn't even noticed Katherine leaning against the wall.

Damon was lying spread-eagled on the floor of the cell, so pale he was almost green, his shirt drenched in sweat. Every so often, his right arm would twitch, and he would hiss in pain.

"I hit him when he started talking about leaving you, that's why he's unconscious."

Elena looked back at Katherine, and nodded gratefully. She didn't know what she would have done if Damon had simply disappeared, never to return. She had never meant for their break-up to be permanent; she simply hadn't been able to deal with the stress of their problems while pondering her own imminent death. And now, he was the one dying, and she was the one who'd screwed up.

"What's going to happen to him?" Elena asked painfully through the sudden knot in her throat.

Katherine shrugged. "I've never seen anything like this." She pushed the younger girl out of the way, glancing between the bars at her ex-lover. "It's been a few days though, so it'll probably just keep getting worse, until..."

"He dies," Elena finished the sentence for her ancestor.

At that moment, Damon's arm twitched again, and he rolled over, curling his body around it protectively. Then his eyes snapped open, and he met Katherine's gaze. Faster than Elena could see, he was up and at the door, his left arm thrust out, grasping for the curled hair of his maker.

"Katherine!" he yelled.

"Shush, you have a guest," was the taunting reply.

It was then that the blue eyes of the dying vampire landed on Elena. He slumped against the door, his sudden outburst of energy taking its toll.

"Who told you?" he asked her.

"Does it matter? It should have been you."

He reared back at her bitter tone. "I didn't want you to worry; didn't want you to -"

"And you think that I would have been any less hurt if you just left and never came back? That isn't fair, Damon. We're together in this." She moved forward to lace their fingers together. "I deserved to know."

His eyes searched hers. "I thought that you hated me."

She shook her head, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Since when have I have been able to stay mad at you?"

They laughed softly, as if they had both forgotten the danger at hand. Of course, they hadn't, but it was nice to pretend.

"So," Elena began, her lips quirked up in a smile, "I'll let you out if you promise not to run."

* * *

The boarding house became headquarters again as the team hunkered down to help Damon. Elena was holding Stefan to his promise to find a cure for his brother, but thus far, his search was fruitless. Jeremy had been trying incessantly to contact Elijah, but the Original had either disappeared from existence, or was dodging their calls. Bonnie had attempted on numerous occasions to coax Dr. Martin into helping them, but to no avail. In his mind, it was Damon's fault that Luca was dead, and so would do nothing to prolong the vampire's existence, nor alleviate his pain.

And was there ever pain. Elena's entire world had shrunk down to Damon's bedroom, and not in the way she had ever hoped. He was growing weaker by the minute, his every move making him agonize as he struggled for breath. No amount of blood, bagged or fresh, would help, although it didn't stop Elena from thrusting her arm into Damon's mouth every time he complained of his thirst. And his mind was becoming too hazy for him to even consider refusing anymore.

Roughly twenty four hours after he had been released from the cell, the hallucinations began. Elena had been curled up on his bed, one hand laying gingerly on his good arm, while Katherine sat in a nearby chair, supervising. She had a sneaking suspicion that if no one stepped in, Damon would drain his little girlfriend dry.

"How 'Romeo and Juliet'," she mumbled to herself, rolling her eyes.

She perked up a few minutes later when Damon woke. She made her way over to him, taking in the dryness of his lips and cloudiness of his eyes.

"Katherine?" he rasped.

"Yep."

She hadn't quite known what to expect, but for him to suddenly surge out of the bed and drill her into a wall certainly wasn't at the top of her list.

"Damon," she tried to say, grabbing at the hand wrapped around her throat. He was surprisingly strong, considering he was on his way out.

"Why are you here?" he growled, but his eyes had softened, though they were still dangerously unfocused. "I thought you were with my brother?"

She frowned in confusion. _Where did that come from?_

"I am, Damon. I'm worried about you."

He fell forward a little, his hands sliding down to her upper arms as his head pressed into the wood of the wall over her shoulder.

"Why must you have both of us?" he asked softly, as though he hadn't heard a word she said. "Why am I not enough for you?"

"You're enough for Elena," she whispered back.

At the sound of her name, the slumbering teenager woke up, panicked at the absence of her lover until her eyes fell on the pair locked together in the opposite corner of the room.

"Elena?" Damon asked, a little louder, a little stronger than before.

He pulled his head back, and Katherine could see that his eyes were a little clearer. He dropped her suddenly and stumbled back. Elena had walked over now, and he fell backward into her, causing them both to fall.

"Elena," Damon said with certainty now that his eyes were on her. "I'm – I can't tell anymore." He sounded scared now. "I can't tell you apart. I can't tell who's real."

"Sh," the younger girl cooed, cradling the dying vampire's head. "It's okay; I'm still here."

And as Katherine watched, Elena comforted Damon until he slipped back into unconsciousness. And what scared the elder vampire the most wasn't the hallucinations, or the fact that she had been unable to fight back; it was the look of utter despair on her doppelganger's face when their eyes finally met.

* * *

The next day passed with no progress from the now-expanded crew working to find a cure to Damon's bite. And as time wore on, his hallucinations became stronger and stronger, so that he spent more time seeing things and saying things that made no sense than he spent unconscious and lucid combined.

As Stefan entered the bedroom to check in, he met Elena's eyes, and shook his head sadly. Her gaunt face pained him almost as much as the sight of his dying brother, but he didn't know what else they could do. It seemed that the only possible person who could perhaps shed some light on their situation was Elijah, and he was completely outside of their grasp. Or so he thought.

Rather than appear even more heartbroken at the lack of good news, her face hardened, revealing an inner determination that Stefan had thought was long buried under her grief and bitter sadness.

Wordlessly, she placed a soft kiss on Damon's sweaty brow and slipped out of the bed. Once she had passed Stefan and was in the hall, she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and pressed a single speed dial button.

"_Hello_," Stefan heard a familiar voice intone through the handset.

Elena's voice was cold when she spoke. "I don't know why the hell you're dodging our calls, but you haul your ass back to this boarding house immediately, Elijah."

A pause. "_And why, may I ask, is my presence required._"

"Damon's dying. He was bitten by a werewolf trying to fix what he did to me, and I have a sneaking suspicion that you encouraged him to do that. Also, I would bet my life that you know of a cure, since you seem to know everything."

"_I'm on my way._"


	31. Moondance

**A/N: This one's a lot shorter than the other most recent chapters. But, I've gotta say, it's pretty much as close to EXACTLY how I've imagined it as I'm gonna get. The epilogue is gonna be loooong, but it should be up by the end of the weekend (maybe even tonight, but don't get your hopes up... I'm still jet-lagged, and might fall asleep on my laptop... again). **

**So, hope you all find the conclusion satisfying, and, as per usual, please let me know what you think!**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

_Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?_

_Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?_

_Moondance by Van Morrison_

* * *

It took a few hours before there was a knock on the door indicating Elijah's arrival. Stefan was the one to let him in, but before leading him upstairs, the younger levelled a cold, calculating gaze on the elder.

"Why didn't you answer the phone? We've been calling for days, and not once did you pick up."

The Original smiled a secret smile, which only served to frustrate Stefan further.

"Either you were calling to invite me to join the celebrations at our success, or the grieving for everyone who died along the way. I had no interest in participating in either of those processes."

"And when Elena called?" Stefan prodded.

"There was a very small voice in my mind that suggested that you were calling for more help. The only one out of your entire group to whom I feel any loyalty or affection is Elena. If she needs help, I will be here to do what I can."

The two were silent, evaluating each other.

"So," Stefan began, "What can you do?"

Elijah smirked. "That depends entirely on Elena."

* * *

The girl in question hadn't seen the sunlight in days. She hadn't left Damon's bedroom in hours, and hadn't been more than five feet outside of said bedroom since she had last seen sunlight. The longest that she had been away from Damon's bed was exactly seven minutes. She knew that because that was the day that she had been paralysed by sobs while she was showering, which added the extra time to her usual routine.

Damon coughed, rousing Elena from her reverie. When he kept coughing, she tried to sit him up, but was unable to budge him more than an inch. His head flopped over so he was now facing her, and blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.

"Elena?" he breathed, his eyes opening a fraction.

"Yeah," she answered, willing her voice to be steady.

"You're still here?"

"In your bed?" She tried to laugh, and almost winced at the sound. "It's my favourite place in the world."

Damon did laugh, but it only induced another coughing fit, and Elena wiped the blood off his lips.

"When I'm better," he began, facing the ceiling again so his girlfriend could curl against his chest, "I think we should spend some time in your bed. I'm getting a little tired of this one."

"I could stay here forever, with you."

She looked up to meet his eyes, and he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Everything. Hurting you; wasting time with you."

He would have gone on, but Elena silenced him with a finger across his lips. Up until this point, she hadn't allowed herself to cry in his presence. But now that the end seemed so near, and he seemed to have given up hope, she couldn't keep her tears at bay anymore.

"Stop talking like that," she ordered thickly. "Stop talking like you're going to die. You won't! Elijah's on his way, and he'll have something. I know it!"

"Okay," he whispered, closing his eyes.

"Tell me what we'll do when you're better."

His face seemed to morph into his typical cocky visage simply by virtue of muscle memory.

"School or no school; you are not leaving your bedroom for at least a week."

She laughed, her head now resting on the pillow so she could watch his face.

"A week, huh?"

"Yeah," he nodded, his eyes still closed. "And speaking of school, I think I should get you a little costume. Kilt... Blouse... Yeah, I have so many plans for you."

"Don't you always?"

His tone changed. "I didn't plan on you. I didn't plan on falling in love with you. I didn't plan on you saving me."

"But -"

It was his turn to silence her. "You did. I had nothing, no goal but getting Katherine out, until that fell apart. And you changed that. No matter what happens now, you've saved me. Always remember that, okay?" His eyes opened, and he turned his head to face her again. "Promise me that you'll always remember. That I loved you, and that you saved me."

Elena was crying openly now. "I promise." And she pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

After a moment, she gasped. It wasn't his fever that scared her, or the traces of blood still on his lips. No, what frightened her most was his complete lack of reciprocation.

"Damon?" she whispered.

There was no answer.

"Damon! DAMON!"

She shook him a few times, but nothing. In her panic, she didn't hear the three vampires enter the room.

"What's wrong?" Stefan yelped, blurring across the room to examine his brother.

Elena's head whipped around, and her eyes narrowed on Elijah.

"You're too late!" she shrieked, and, to his credit, he actually recoiled. "He's gone!"

The Original made his way across the room, and grabbed Damon's hand before peeling back the younger vampire's eyelids.

"No," he murmured, "He isn't gone. Not yet. But it is close."

Elena was staring at him expectantly, completely ignoring Stefan and Katherine, who were now both standing at Damon's side.

"Can you help him?" the teenager asked pitifully.

For a moment, Elijah did nothing but stare at her calculatingly.

"You didn't call me."

"What? We did! We've been -"

"No," he held up a hand, "_You_ didn't call me. There's a difference."

"I've been busy!" she blurted defensively. "I've been with Damon every second of -"

"Yes, I can see that. And now, I am going to ask you the most important question: Why should I help him?"

Both doppelganger's, and Stefan's, jaws dropped.

"Excuse me?" Elena choked.

Elijah simply cocked his head to the side and repeated his question.

"Because he's dying!"

The Original nodded. "Many people are dying. It is not for me to judge who deserves to postpone that particular event."

Speechless and spluttering, Elena rose from the bed, furious with this lack of cooperation. She'd had enough; enough pain, enough death, enough mourning, enough heartbreak. Enough of other people having all the control and not doing what she needed them to do.

"It's my fault!" she exclaimed at last. "He was doing it to try and help me!"

Again, it wasn't enough. "Numerous people have helped you. I do not see why that commits me to saving their lives for eternity."

"I – but – I -"

She had forgotten about the other two occupants of the room, as her world had narrowed to herself, Damon and Elijah.

"Downstairs," Stefan said, and Elena jumped in surprise at the sound of his voice, "You said that you felt loyalty and affection for Elena. So isn't it enough that she's asking?"

With a sigh, Elijah opened his suit jacket and pulled out a small vile of blood.

"Klaus, after initiating his transformation, was both werewolf and vampire. Until," he frowned, "I tore his heart out. I rushed away after that, if you'll remember, Stefan. I had a small window of time during which I could wring out the blood from my brother's heart, and conserve it. If my suspicions are correct, it should serve as an antidote to the wolf poison."

He stopped then, seemingly finding the collective expressions of his conscious companions amusing.

"However, seeing as how there is a limited amount, I need to ensure that it is used wisely." Now he focused solely on Elena, once again. "He is a murderer; he is rash and impulsive; his morality leaves much to be desired. By your judgement, Elena, is he truly worth saving?"

She felt as though she was losing the battle, but she fought on, taking a step closer to the Original and gripping each of his wrists desperately.

"Yes, he is worth saving. Please Elijah."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why?"

"Because I love him."

"You've told me that before. And, if you haven't noticed, you love more people than you could count. Some of them," his eyes flicking over to Katherine briefly, "not particularly deserving of it. No, there needs to be a better reason than that."

And just like that, something in her mind clicked, and she understood exactly what he was practically begging her to say.

She smiled widely now, sure that she had it.

"I'm in love with him, Elijah. I need him to survive, or else I won't be able to live."

Faster than a heartbeat, he tossed the tiny vile to Katherine, who was now the closest to Damon. She didn't hesitate before uncorking it, and pouring it down the prone vampire's throat. The entire room froze as they waited for a reaction, and so when Damon's eyes opened, and he coughed a little (but only a little), it's understandable that Elena would collapse, held up only by Elijah's lightning reflexes.

"Do you remember," he whispered to her, "When I asked you if you were in love with him, and you asked if it made a difference?" She nodded. "It just has. Remember that."

* * *

Within minutes of receiving his cure, Damon was able to sit up without help, and not long after that, he could stand, albeit weakly. Elena had rushed over to apparently pat down every inch of him, checking that the cure really had worked, and Damon couldn't do anything but stare at her. Silently, Stefan, Katherine and Elijah all excused themselves, but their departure was not even noted by the couple.

At his vehement insistence, Elena waited on Damon's bed as he showered. She listened, tense, for any sound that was out of the ordinary. But soon enough, he limped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, and when he noticed her, knees tucked under her chin, he almost seemed surprised.

"I needed to make sure you were okay. I changed the sheets," she offered.

He nodded, and slowly made his way over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of flannel pants before dropping his towel unceremoniously, and yanking them on. He noted Elena's blush with no small degree of satisfaction.

He hobbled to the bed and crawled in, still exhausted from the traces of venom remaining in his veins. He wasn't sure what to do, or what Elena was still there for. She had made no move to come closer to him, nor to move away, so he decided to just press his luck and go in for the kiss.

And he was rewarded with a slap.

"Ow," he whined, rubbing his jaw, "Don't get me wrong; it's great that we're back to normal, but I'm still hurting from the almost-death."

"I hate you!" Elena exclaimed, wrapping her arm back around her folded legs.

"I've been unconscious for, like, three days!" Damon retorted. "What the fuck could I possibly have done now?"

And to his horror, she collapsed into wracking sobs. No matter his feelings for her, he was still acutely uncomfortable around crying women. She fell over, and he pulled her close.

"You almost died, Damon! I was so scared! More scared than when _I_ died!" She pulled back a little, and moved so she was on her knees. Her arms snaked over his shoulders, and she held his head in place by knitting her fingers into his hair. "You're fucking immortal! You aren't supposed to be able to die! You can't ever, _ever_, do that to me again!" She threw herself back into his arms again, choking on her tears. "I can't take that again."

He rubbed her back lightly and breathed in the smell of her.

"Welcome to my life," he whispered in her ear.

She laughed a little, and after a few minutes, was able to calm down. By that point, they had sunk down a bit, so that Elena was tucked under Damon's arm, and he was lying back, facing the ceiling. He was forcing his eyes to stay open, trying to hold on to the feeling of her in his arms.

"Do you remember?" she asked him quietly, waking him a little more. Off his questioning look, she continued. "Do you remember anything from when you were," she made a fluttering motion with her hand, "All hazy?"

He frowned in concentration. "A lot of hallucinations. A lot of Katherine and Stefan stuff."

She nodded, wisps of dark hair that had escaped her ponytail falling into her face.

"And you," he continued. "You didn't leave. You stayed the whole time. And I remember hearing you cry in the shower." Her eyes were filling with tears as he spoke. "I'm pretty sure that pushed me, kept me alive longer so I could postpone that pain for you."

He was silent again.

"So," Elena croaked, "You don't remember anything else? From when Elijah came?"

If he hadn't been as disciplined, he probably would have cracked a smile at her obvious fishing. But as it was, he was able to keep his mischievousness under wraps for the time being, enabling him to play with her a little more.

He let out a long, dramatic breath. "I know that Elijah didn't want to give me the cure."

"Yeah?" she coaxed.

"And you were arguing with him..."

"Yeah..."

He turned his head to meet her eyes. "I think if you said it again, it might remind me." And he winked at her.

In the moments following, he was fully bracing himself for another slap. What he got instead was much better. Elena rolled, straddling his hips, and pressing her forehead to his.

"I'm in love with you, Damon Salvatore." And she kissed him, lightly, on the lips.

"I'm in love with you." A kiss on his forehead. "I'm in love with you." On his cheek. "I'm in love with you." His other cheek. "I'm in love with you." His nose.

"Should I say it again?" she asked, smirking.

Damon reached around to hold her against his chest. "I think you should never stop saying it. God knows, I've been saying it long enough."

She giggled, and leaned in to kiss him again. He slid his tongue eagerly passed her lips, trying to will away his exhaustion.

_Ah! I so need to be inside her right now._

To make matters worse, Elena started rolling her hips, grinding against his groin, and making him hiss in pleasure. Her lips and tongue were tracing trails down his neck, but when her fingers clenched the hem of his shirt to pull it over his head, he shut his eyes tightly and gripped her wrists.

"I hate myself right now," he groaned.

"What? Why?"

"Well," he opened his eyes to meet hers, "You have _no_ idea how much I want to continue this, and I swear I will make it up to you." His voice dropped to a husky tone. "Over and over..."

She squirmed at the sound, causing friction in his groin again and making him gasp.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I am so sorry!" She climbed off of him, and it was a testament to just how weak his still was that he couldn't pull her back before she was curled into his side again. "Of course! You're still recovering! I shouldn't have – I was just so -"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Horny? Yeah, feverish, delusional, and coughing up blood is _so hot_. I so get it."

She slapped his chest lightly, laughing. "Not what I meant. I'm just so happy that you're alive, and we're okay, and -"

He kissed her. "Tomorrow," he whispered against her lips.

She nodded in agreement, and lay back down. They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Damon almost nodded off again.

"Pinky swear?" Elena murmured through a yawn, her left arm, pinky outstretched, hovering over his chest. "No more dying?"

He chuckled a little. "Pinky swear."

They locked digits and shook, and then Damon slipped into a happy, dreamless sleep.


	32. Epilogue

**A/N: So here it is, the end of the story. I can most certainly, absolutely guarantee that there will not be a sequel. I slid a little random blurb at the end covering pretty much the only interesting thing to happen to them in the future, so it's done.**

**Now, I usually leave interpretation of the stories (as I've been discussing with _spiritedghost_) to the reader. Once I post a chapter, it is up to you to figure out what it, and the chapter title, means to you. This is the only time where I'll share what I think of this. After writing it, and rewriting it, and adding a little bit more here and there, and reading and rereading it, I realized that this chapter kind of follows the progression of their relationship, relatively speaking. I dunno... Just my thought on it.**

**Thank you to everyone who's read/reviewed. If you've read, but you haven't reviewed, here's your last chance! Give me what you've got!**

**I really hope you guys like this epilogue. I don't think I'll ever be fully satisfied with it, but if I keep going over it, I'll just obsess, and that'll get me nowhere. Fair warning, there's quite a smutbomb in here, the most intense one that I've written since Make Me Wanna Die/In The End. And it was particularly challenging because I kept getting little teenage basketball players creeping up on me when I thought I was alone, and trying to read over my shoulder. One word, children: Inappropriate.**

**Okay, I'm done now. Thanks for the support, and I'm looking forward to your feedback, good, bad or indifferent!**

**Oh! Also, the song used sporadically is 'Down On Me' by Jeremih featuring 50 Cent.**

**The story is set after The Sacrifice, but still containing canon elements as much as possible.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. Made for fun, not for profit!**

* * *

Elena was in Hell. She was sure of it. If she had ever done anything so bad in her life as to deserve eternal torment, there was no way it could be worse than this. Waiting at her house, trying not to think about the throbbing between her legs, surrounded by her family, waiting on the one person who could soothe the itch.

The fact that said person was also her mischievous, doting, sexy boyfriend, who had almost died six months before, and was now going on three hours late for their date, well, that's just a bonus.

He had been late before; and he most certainly would be late again. It wasn't like she was in any way insecure about their relationship, so she never really minded his tardiness. He went to great lengths to show how much he cared for and appreciated her, and they spent so much time together already. She wasn't the type to just sit around and wait for a guy to show up or call.

Except on this night. She had been talking about this night for weeks, and thought that she had made it very clear that he be at her place as early as possible.

Obviously, she hadn't been clear enough.

Frustrated, she suddenly stood from the couch.

"I'm going out," she grumbled to Jenna.

"If you don't skin Damon for whatever he's done now, tell him I say hi. I'll probably be gone to Ric's when you drag him back."

Elena scowled and stomped out of the house, to her car. She sped all the way to the Grill, and slammed the door on the way in. She didn't even have a chance to look around when Matt approached her.

"A little early tonight, 'Lena. They aren't even drunk yet." He pointed to the bar, where Damon and Ric sat, sipping beer and chatting. "Can I say that it's weird for you to be our teacher's DD? And that you're dating his best friend."

"If it makes you feel better," she snapped, "I might not be dating him much longer if he doesn't have a fucking good story!"

Matt laughed awkwardly and sidled off. Elena only made it a few more feet when she was accosted by Caroline.

"I thought you were busy tonight?"

"I was... My plans are currently sitting at the bar."

The blonde's mouth made an 'O' shape, and she stepped silently out of the way, allowing Elena to finish her progress to where her tardy boyfriend sat.

"Did we, or did we not, have plans tonight?" she growled, forcing the vampire to turn to face her. Ric smiled, but upon registering the look on her face, focused on the label of his bottle instead.

"Hey!" Damon said with a smile, leaning towards her. She pulled her hand back for the customary slap, but he grabbed her wrist, frowning. "I thought we'd gotten past the whole 'slapping me' me thing. What the hell is wrong now?"

"Do you know what today is?" Elena hissed through her clenched teeth.

"The day you start your period?" She narrowed her eyes, and he sighed. "But I thought I had that marked down. And I would be able to smell it..."

Alaric choked on his beer. "That's disgusting!"

"So is whatever the hell you're drinking."

She ignored their banter, distracted by the fact that her bastard of a boyfriend was wearing her favourite cologne. And the grey shirt that she'd bought him that brought out his eyes. And he was still turned towards her, his knees brushing her legs...

_Eyes up Gilbert! Keep it together!_

"Okay," Elena said with a cold calmness. "No problem. I'm going home. You can forget it. Have fun on your man-date."

And with that, she stormed back out of the restaurant, into her car, and back to her house. She ignored Jenna in the living room, making her way upstairs to throw herself onto her bed. She rolled over, facing the ceiling, and shut her eyes. She knew that she was being unreasonable. She really was being very hard on him.

But he had been late! On the only day that they had agreed that he should never be late!

And on top of that, since his brush with death, Elena found herself worried sick about him. If he fails to answer the phone, or is late to meet her, her mind is suddenly filled with images of another werewolf bite. And she knows that it isn't likely to happen; the only werewolf in town now is Tyler, and he is safely tucked away and guarded on the full moon. But logic does nothing to dampen the fear of losing one's lover, and so she is overcome with the thoughts. Damon at the mercy of a werewolf pack, running, fighting, dying. Damon, caught unawares by another vengeful vampire, like he was in Georgia, only this time, Elena is too late to save him. Damon, falling to the ground, skin greying, a stake protruding from his chest, and his icy blue eyes closing forever...

She heard the door open and close, and _knew_ it was him. And then she stood up, pacing across her room, eyeing the outfit on a hanger inside of her closet, and she isn't angry anymore. It's a waste of time when the two of them have learned in such painful ways that time can be taken from them at any moment. Does it really matter that he was late? Would she have been angry if he hadn't shown up at all, due to his being dead in the forest? And if Elijah hadn't arrived in time all those months ago, she wouldn't even be having this problem.

* * *

When Damon arrived at the Gilbert residence, he really wasn't sure what to do. He stood outside the door for a few moments, rubbing the back of his neck nervously before finally stepping into the house quietly. He eyed the stairs, but decided against it, figuring he would just antagonize Elena further if he let himself in. And, if she was so desperate to have him over, she could damn well come down and fetch him.

As he turned toward the living room, he noticed Jenna for the first time. She was standing walking towards him.

"Here." She handed him the remote. "I'll assume, since you're here, that Ric's gone home?" He nodded. "Alright, good luck with that," she looked up, and then met his eyes again, "And see you around."

She left, and he flopped down onto the couch, flipping through channels before finally settling on wrestling. He kicked off his boots, tucking one arm behind his head, letting the other dangle off the couch, resting on the floor.

Five minutes later, he heard Elena skip down the stairs, come to the living room, and then stop a few feet away from him.

"Come to yell at me some more?" he grumbled, his eyes not moving from the screen.

She stepped in front of him, blocking his view. Her hair was wet, and braided into two pigtails. She was wearing knee high, white socks, and a long, terry cloth robe.

"Can you sit up, please?" she asked softly.

He sighed dramatically, and heaved himself into a sitting position. Elena shuffled forward to straddle his hips and loosely drape her arms around his neck.

"Do you know what today is?"

He rolled his eyes, frustrated with her repetitiveness. "I have no idea. I don't generally try to piss you off, so please, tell me, what is today?"

She pressed herself a little closer to him, taking his hand and slipping it between her legs, up her robe.

He frowned, confused by the change in her mood, but decided not to question it. He slowly moved his hand further up her thighs, realizing that she was wearing something under the robe.

"Today," she began, staring straight into his eyes as his fingers explored, "Is the six month anniversary of you almost dying." She bent forward so her lips were pressed against his ear. "And do you remember what we said we would do on the six months?"

His body froze as his mind went into overdrive. Weeks ago, he had offhandedly mentioned, when they were cuddled together after sex, the idea of tying her up. In a very serious tone, she confessed that the idea had crossed her mind as well, but she was very nervous about it. A few days after, she told him that on the six months of him almost dying, they could try it.

_Holy crap!_

He met her eyes apologetically. "I am so sorry."

She simply smiled in response before getting up and walking back toward the stairs. "I'll be waiting for you in my room. You probably want to get rid of Jeremy though."

The second he heard her bedroom door close, Damon flew up the stairs to usher Jeremy out of the house. ("Here's the keys to my car, and my house. It's empty. Go get Bonnie; go get high. I don't give a flying fuck, just get the hell out of here!")

Once the littlest Gilbert had fled the premises, the vampire turned to Elena's bedroom and slowly pushed it open. His first view caused his breathing to deepen, and his pants to tighten painfully. She had discarded the robe, and was currently bent over, pushing a bag under her bed.

His mind flashed back to their discussion when he was dying: _"And speaking of school, I think I should get you a little costume. Kilt... Blouse... Yeah, I have so many plans for you."_

From what he could see, she'd found the kilt. Her position allowed it to ride up, revealing her perfect backside and the black lace thong that she was wearing underneath it.

He cleared his throat, unable to make any other sound. His eyes scanned the softly lit room, registering the restraints tied to each corner of her bed, and the mirror behind her headboard where a painting used to be.

_Sweet. Jesus._

She stood up and faced him with a nervous smile on her face, allowing him to take in the rest of her outfit, if you could call it that. A tight white blouse, tied just under her breasts, which were hidden from view by a black, strapless bra with the clasp at the front. The short kilt and knee-high socks, along with her braids, completed the ensemble.

She was sauntering towards him as he shut the door and finally forced himself to speak.

"You remembered," he said, indicating her clothes.

"Better than you," she answered, placing her hands on his shoulders and guiding him to sit in the chair in the corner. "You know," she began, leaning over to meet his eyes, allowing him a wonderful view of her cleavage, "I'm still really nervous about tonight..."

"It doesn't show at all," was his strangled response.

"And we both know that you tend to give me a lot of control while we're... intimate. But tonight," her hands slid down his chest, and she moved even closer, so he could feel her breath on his lips, "Tonight, I really really want you to tell me what to do."

It wouldn't be the first time that he would take a distinctly dominant role during sex, but it was the first time that she expressed her desire to have it that way. And he had made it his goal to fill her every desire.

She pulled back suddenly, but then seemed to change her mind, and moved closer again, her lips pressed lightly against his as she spoke once more.

"And, just so you know, while I was waiting earlier, I was thinking about how this would be."

"Yeah?"

"And I'm already _really_ turned on for you. Just so you know."

Then she pulled away again and padded across the room. Damon thought that he was going to explode. Never, ever, had a woman made him feel this way just by speaking to him. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back, placing his arms on the armrest, not sure what Elena had in mind. Then music filled the room, some stupid pop song that he had hated up until the moment. His eyes snapped open to see Elena in front of him, facing the away from him, gyrating her hips.

"_Okay she headed to the dance floor, and she slowly start to poppin' it. Something like Rice Crispies, everybody got to watching it..."_

"I will never complain about your music again," Damon moaned when she backed up and rubbed against his groin.

She giggled a little, but kept moving, her hands above her head.

After he had gotten his fill of just watching her (which wasn't very long, to be honest), he reached out lightly stroke her thighs.

"Bend over," he ordered, "Take off the thong. I want to feel how wet it is."

Obediently, she bent over, and, yet again, her kilt rode up, allowing him to see her ass as she tugged down the scrap of fabric. He bit his lip as he watched her step out of the underwear and slowly roll herself back into a standing position. She turned toward him, handed him her panties, and shuffled back a little.

"_System's thumpin', party jumpin'. Shorty, she's a perfect ten. She rock her hips, then roll her hips, then drop it down like it's nothin'."_

Her arms were back above her head, stretching her taut stomach, revealing more of her chest. Her knees bent, and she sank down, spreading her legs a little before bouncing back up. Then she stepped forward and straddled him, hands gripping the back of the chair on either side of his head, chest in front of his face.

"Having fun yet?" she murmured.

With one swipe, he licked from the gap between her breasts up to her neck. His hands gripped her hips and she continued to rock against him.

"We should do this more often," he suggested.

She laughed hoarsely. "And you can dance. We can call them 'Incentive Not To Die' nights."

"Mm hmm."

He moved a hand up to grip her hair and pull her down to kiss him. He wasted no time in sliding his tongue between her lips, revelling in the way she moaned.

When he'd finished plundering her mouth, he lifted her by her hips and placed her on her feet, standing with her.

"Do you like how I taste?" he asked, pulling her flush against him.

She nodded. "I want you in my mouth, right now."

"Good. Get on your knees."

He unbuckled his belt, and she tugged his pants and boxers down. He watched her as she licked along his length, and then wrapped her lips around him.

"Yeah," he breathed, gripping her hair and slowly moving his hips in time with her tongue.

He closed his eyes, moving his other hand to grab her hair as well. She pulled back a little, teasing him with her tongue swirling around the tip of cock.

"... Elena..." he moaned.

As she took him all in again, his mind drifted off, unable to put his thoughts together. She was getting to be an expert at this, demonstrated by the fact that he was already seeing bursts of colours behind his eyes. She was growing bolder too, and had surprised him that one time by crawling under the table at the boarding house, and -

He was distracted when he felt his hips suddenly jerk forward, and he hit the back of her throat. He felt her make some sort of sound, and the feeling caused him to whimper a little. She was dragging him to edge, and he didn't know how much longer he could hold out. His biggest mistake was in looking down at her. The sight of her bobbing, sucking him off, her hands gripping his thighs... And the kilt...

"Elena," he gasped, "I want you to touch yourself. But stop when I tell you to."

She sighed, and he felt one of her hands slide down his leg. He watched as it disappeared beneath the kilt, and then she started moaning.

"Oh God!" There was a rushing in his ears, but he tried to ignore the feeling, tried to hold out a little long. Damn she was good! "Ah! Elena!"

The hand between her legs was moving faster now, and he could see her frown, trying to maintain her focus. Her tongue was swirling faster and faster, flattening out and then twirling, and making him speak all kinds of nonsense. Her whole body was visibly stiffening; he knew she was close.

"Stop!" he ordered, and she groaned in disappointment, her hand slowly sliding out.

"Please..." she whispered around him.

At that, he lost control, and exploded into her mouth with a cry of satisfaction. She slowed down, not stopping until she had milked him dry. Then, with a final kiss on his tip, she stood up and started unbuttoning his shirt.

He hardly registered any of this, and was surprised that his knees hadn't given out. Soon enough, he felt his shirt fall from his shoulders, and idly noticed that the music had stopped. She was nipping at his chest as he pushed her back onto the bed. He rolled them so that she was on top, straddling his stomach. He could feel the heat radiating from her nether regions, and almost gave up and pushed into her right then and there.

_But we haven't even gotten to the best part yet._

He stopped kissing her for a moment and just looked at her. He was sure he had never seen anything sexier in his life: The woman he loved, straddling him, looking like a debauched schoolgirl (which, to be fair, she sort of was).

"Take off your bra. Leave the shirt on though."

She obeyed, a mischievous look in her brown eyes. She had started inching back, trying to sit between his legs, but he suddenly flipped her onto her back.

"Not yet, love." He kissed down her throat to her heaving chest. "Spread your legs."

Strangely, she only clamped them together. When he looked up to meet her eyes, he noticed she was chewing her bottom lip nervously.

"I said," he growled, and he could have sworn he heard her moan, "Spread your legs."

"I'm nervous," she whispered.

He smirked against her skin, and sank a little lower, licking and kissing a trail along her midsection.

"Pretty sure you're all turned on though." He nipped at her hip. "I'll bet you can't wait to wrap your legs around me, feel me inside of you." He blew over her bellybutton, and she jerked her hips. "I'll bet you're imagining me biting you, drinking your blood while I'm making you come." He crawled back up, over her face and kissed her lightly on the lips before sucking on her ear lobe. "Spread your legs," he whispered.

Finally, she uncrossed her feet and Damon shuffled down to tie each ankle to the bedposts. Once done, he kissed his way up one thigh, leaving little bite marks, and then settled between her legs. Scanning up her body, he could see her hardened nipples beneath her blouse.

"Roll your nipples, over your shirt."

She did, with trembling fingers, and when she made a sound of arousal, he grinned and sank down, finally allowing himself to taste her. She was dripping wet, and he wasted no time in licking her from her entrance to her clit. He felt her legs pulling against the restraints, trying to close around his head, but it was no use. He sucked on her little bundle of nerves, but stopped the second he felt her hand on the back of his head.

Within a second, he had her wrists restrained as well. Slowly, he flipped open the buttons on her blouse, releasing her breasts. He captured one swollen nipple between his teeth.

"I thought I told you what I wanted you to do." He bit down lightly, making her hiss at the sensation. "Why didn't you listen?"

"It felt so good... I didn't want you to stop."

She hissed again when he bit her other nipple.

"And now?"

"Ah! I want you, Damon! Please, keep going! I need you to touch me!"

He chuckled, but slid back down between her legs. Without warning, he thrust two fingers inside of her, making her scream with pleasure and surprise.

"What do you want, Elena?"

"Ah!" she gasped. "I want... I want..." She moved her hips, trying to direct him, but it was no use without her arms and legs. "My clit," he could hear her swallow hard, "Please! It's throbbing!"

"Your wish..."

He blew over the throbbing nub, and then drew it into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue. He heard Elena hiss, and redoubled his efforts, thrusting his fingers into her faster and harder.

"Yes!" she screamed. "Oh yes! Damon! I'm so close, Damon! Just a little more..."

He kept on working her until he could feel her inner walls fluttering, and her body tighten up. Then, as he bent his fingers, he suddenly quirked his head to the side, and slid his fangs into her leg. She came then and there, crying out his name and twitching uncontrollably. Her body was covered in sweat, her various fluids mixing in his throat.

When he'd fully retracted from her, he crawled back up to collapse next to her, licking his lips.

"How do you feel?" he asked, genuinely curious.

She was still breathing hard when she answered. "I feel... perfect."

His fingers danced up her arms to where her wrist was tied. "And these?"

"Even better than you promised. It was... exciting," she giggled.

He cocked an eyebrow, and unclasped her wrists. "What do you mean, 'was'? We aren't done yet. I still want to watch you in that mirror!"

Elena's face flushed, and her heartbeat sped up as he released her ankles. Apparently on instinct, she got up on her knees, facing the mirror, sliding the blouse off her shoulders and placing both her hands on the headboard. Silently, Damon retied either wrist before pressing himself against her.

"You know," he began, kissing her back and shoulders, "If I weren't superhuman, you probably would have worn me out a long time ago."

He eyed her reflection, and glowed when he saw her genuinely smile. "I just can't keep my hands off of you. Although it doesn't seem to bother you too much."

He let one hand slide down her belly, between her legs, slowly teasing her. She gasped, and threw her head back.

"It doesn't bother me at all." He positioned himself at her entrance, and felt her angle her hips to receive him.

He chuckled, and then thrust into her, revelling in the feeling of her moving back against him. "It's like you can read my mind."

Their eyes met in the mirror, and he pulled out almost all the way, only to slide back in to the hilt. They moaned in unison at the feeling. Once more, and Elena started tugging at the restraints.

"What's wrong?" he grunted, speeding up.

"I just... I need to touch you."

He indulged her, as usual, by placing his head on her shoulder. She turned and kissed him, biting his bottom lip as he moved faster and harder inside of her, his hands squeezing her hips.

"Harder Damon!"

He pressed her back with one hand, bending her over, allowing him to push into her deeper than before. She was screaming now, her nails digging into the headboard. He reached around her to fondle her breasts, and pressed wet kisses up and down her spine.

"Elena... Are you close?"

"Yes."

He smirked. "Watch, in the mirror. Watch yourself fall apart. You're so beautiful..."

Her walls were fluttering again, her orgasm coming on sooner this time. He pushed into her as hard as he dared, and just as she started to keen, he bit her, again. And, again, it pushed her over the edge, so that she collapsed back against him, still crying out with each throbbing of her body. Damon was still thrusting, and soon, he exploded inside of her, and fell forward, pinning Elena to the headboard.

"I love you," he breathed.

"I love _you_," she answered.

Weakly, he undid the restraints a final time, and they both fell to bed in a sweaty, bloody heap, curled around each other, sated and smiling.

* * *

The next morning, Elena woke up alone. She wasn't too concerned. Whenever she and Damon spent the night together, he was always awake first, making breakfast for her. On this morning, though, she was pleasantly surprised when he appeared back in the bedroom, with a tray full of food.

"I figured that this would be a good morning for breakfast in bed."

Elena simply smiled in response, and shifted around, making room for him to climb in behind her. With the tray placed across her lap, and the television remote firmly in Damon's grasp, they settled into a relaxing morning.

"So, you were twenty four when you died, right?" Elena asked him a while later, when he was munching toast out of her hand.

"Twenty five," he corrected her.

"But I thought -"

"My birthday's earlier in the year. Stefan would have been eighteen."

"Oh." She was silent again, digesting that information. She could practically feel Damon's curiosity. "Caroline keeps talking about dropping out of school, since she has forever to get back to it. She's only still there because her mom would lose it." She paused again as Damon set down the remote. "And if I didn't graduate college, Jenna would freak. And then the age thing would be a little closer."

"Elena," Damon began in a low voice. She moved the tray to the floor, and turned on her knees to face him, the blanket wrapped around her. "If you're saying what I think you're saying, you're going to have to spell it out for me. I have a bad track record with jumping to conclusions where you're concerned."

Elena grinned at him and shuffled closer, playing with one of his hands. "I promised you, right; no more dying? I mean, I'll have to die one more time for it to really stick, but -"

She met Damon's eyes and promptly stopped speaking. His mouth was hanging open, and he seemed to be trying to see through her, to read exactly what she was trying to say.

"Are you talking about turning? Actually becoming a vampire?"

"Well yeah," she answered. She was secretly pretty amused by his reaction, relieved at his current passivity. He could be very unpredictable when confronted with issues of this magnitude. "I've given it a lot of thought, given everything. And we wouldn't have to talk too seriously about it for another few years, and I'm still really nervous. But, I mean, if someone else comes along and decides to try and kill me, then we could just move it up a little earlier, so we have that option open."

"But," he spluttered, "But you were so angry when -"

"When you tried to force it on me? That was... That was a really bad choice Damon." She'd gone back to staring down at their joined hands. "I still hadn't really wanted to consider it yet, and you forced it. That's a huge change, Damon. And for someone who isn't sure, or doesn't want it... Do you understand how much of a betrayal that was?"

"But now?" he asked softly, changing the subject.

"Now, I've thought about it, and I've set myself a time line, and I've made decisions about it. Now, it's my choice." She ended her sentence smiling at him.

"So this is for sure?" He was still talking quietly, staring at her intensely, as though afraid to spook her.

Elena shrugged, sighing dramatically. "For sure; forever; whatever. I mean," she crawled over him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Could you imagine if I died? You wouldn't last a week between the vampires that you've pissed off and your secret hero complex that causes you to throw your arm into werewolves mouths."

She shrieked when Damon rolled her over, and kissed her hard. And as he sank into the bed next to her, and wrapped his arms around her, and held her close, she thought about exactly why she had made the decision to turn.

It's not a question of love or lust or protection; not of eternity or forever; it's a question of survival. _I need him to survive, or else I won't be able to live_. Elena could never live without him; Damon could never live without her. And she knows that just the thought of him not existing, regardless of whether she was alive or dead, kills her. It's selfish, this urge to live just to avoid that thought, and Elena knows it.

But this is her Heaven. There's nothing else. There's no one else. So when her lips meet Damon's, and she slides over top of him, and he grips her hips and moves inside of her, words of love and adoration spilling from both of their tongues, that's all it is: Survival.

* * *

And just to show that it isn't all smooth sailing...

"That's a huge book! Don't throw it at – Ah!" Damon yelled, dodging the hefty tome that was flying through the air in his direction.

"I can't believe you compelled me! And you never told me!" Elena was furious, the veins around her eyes pulsing, her newly-formed fangs out and threatening.

"It was seven years ago!" He dodged another projectile. "I thought it was for your own good! I thought Stefan would make you happier!"

"Oh yes," Elena suddenly launched herself at her lover, over their bed, "Of course, Stefan turned out to be so great for me!"

Damon grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the wall after she managed to land a blow to his midsection. "You know, now that you're a vampire, it actually hurts when you hit me!"

"You're so lucky I'm in love you," Elena growled.

With a smile, Damon pressed his lips to hers. She never could stay mad at him for long...


End file.
